Chapter 82: Oversized Package
Just as the two were discussing Director Jiang who was about to arrive, a Jiefang truck drove up to the base gate with a large package on it.
And this package once again pushed Shen Ling to the forefront because of Director Jiang's upcoming arrival.
The rumbling sound of the Jiefang truck's engine broke the dullness of the afternoon in Songtaogou. The dust kicked up by the rear of the truck had attracted countless eyes before it settled.
After signing at the door, this army green behemoth did not drive to the battalion warehouse, but stopped directly at the gate of the most inconspicuous courtyard at the east end of the family compound - Zhou Weiguo's courtyard.
The car door opened, and two soldiers from the logistics department jumped out and began to unload the goods from the car with quick movements.
They were not the usual sacks or cardboard boxes, but several wooden boxes that were nailed tightly and looked extremely heavy.
The box made a dull thud when it landed, indicating the weight of the supplies inside.
"Comrade Shen Lingning! Who is Comrade Shen Lingning? Please sign for the package!"
The team leader, squad leader Xiao Li, had a loud voice and held a receipt in his hand.
Shen Lingning and Zhou Weiguo exchanged glances, and each saw the doubt in the other's eyes.
Who could have sent the package?
In the past two months, Shen Lingning has not been idle.
She was thinking about the folks in Majiaji who had extended a helping hand to her when she was in the most difficult time - Aunt Wang's care, the old branch secretary's fairness, and the occasional handful of vegetables and a few eggs given to her by the neighbors.
She always kept that friendship in her heart.
The Qinnan Mountains are rich in resources. She followed Aunt Sun and the others and became familiar with the nearby hills.
After the rain, the wood ear mushrooms are thick and shiny black. She carefully picks them and dries them in the sun. She grinds the newly harvested beans into pulp and adds brine to make square dried tofu, which is salty, fragrant and solid.
The fresh and tender ferns in spring are blanched and then dried into dark brown vegetables, which can be stored for a long time; and she also exchanges the walnuts and wild dates that are harvested for sugar or grain.
She saved and saved until she had a big bag full and sent it back to Majiaji.
The gift wasn't expensive, but it was the most practical gift she could give.
The nearby hills produced far more than she had imagined.
She carefully sorted the mountain products she had accumulated and divided them into three parts, one of which was sent to Chang'an to her godfather and godmother.
The two old people treated her like their own daughter, and she always wanted to give something in return.
One was sent southwest to her second brother, Zhao Xiangbei. In addition to the Chuanxiong he longed for, she also stuffed some dried mushrooms and bamboo shoots she had sun-dried herself, as well as some local specialties she had worked so hard to exchange for.
In the package her second brother sent back, in addition to medicinal herbs, there were also authentic Sichuan rice noodles and hot sauce. The strong spicy and fragrant taste made her feel as if she saw the carefulness beneath her second brother's roughness.
These packages that cross mountains and rivers contain not only items, but also heavy concerns that run in both directions.
In these days of material scarcity, every piece is particularly precious.
Shen Lingning cherishes this family affection that he gained halfway through, and he manages it with his heart, using his hard-working hands to give equally sincere returns.
The sound of the delivery truck was like a stone hitting a calm pond, startling everyone in the family compound and causing them to come out to see.
The families of the neighbors all poked their heads out of their houses or simply gathered around, their eyes filled with surprise, envy, and a hint of imperceptible inquiry.
In this era of material scarcity, such a large-scale distribution is too rare.
Shen Lingning and Zhou Weiguo had just come out of the house and were surprised to see such a big scene.
Zhou Weiguo stepped forward, took the receipt, and glanced at the shipping unit column - the special supply department of the logistics department of a certain military region. The reason column read "Women's Federation visits model military families with supplies."
His brows knitted in a barely perceptible way.
Shen Lingning understood instantly. This must be the work of her godmother Wang Xiulan.
She had indeed received a letter before saying that some things had been sent, but she didn't expect it to be in this way and on such a large scale.
This love and care is heavy, but it also comes... at an inappropriate time.
She thought of the upcoming and strict Director Jiang from the province whom she and Zhou Weiguo had just discussed.
The soldiers began to pry open the wooden box. As the boards opened, there was an uncontrollable gasp from all around.
One box contained neatly stacked cans of various kinds: luncheon meat, braised pork, canned fruit, the tin shells reflecting the sunlight; another box contained high-quality fabrics and wool, bright in color and rich in texture;
One box contained milk powder, malted milk, White Rabbit candy, and even a few cartons of rare "Da Qianmen" cigarettes;
There is another box of dried seafood: clams, dried shrimps, and seaweed, which exude a light salty smell.
These supplies far exceed the regular supply standards of an ordinary battalion-level cadre's family or even the entire Songtaogou base family compound.
The sweet aroma of milk powder and malted milk, the greasy smell of canned food, and the cotton pulp scent of new fabrics mixed together to form an extremely impactful smell of "richness", stimulating the senses of every onlooker.
"Oh my God...how much money is this..."
"A visit from the Women's Federation? Shen Lingning was named a model? When did that happen?"
"Tsk tsk, Captain Zhou's family has become... rich?"
...There were discussions everywhere, filled with envy, speculation, and jealousy.
Li Hongmei was also squeezed in the crowd, staring at those things with her eyes, and the acid almost came out of her throat.
She had just been criticized for making a false accusation and was fuming with anger, but now it seemed as if she had finally found a new way out.
She shrilled and said sarcastically, "Oh my god, this is really... outrageous! We work ourselves to death all year round and don't even see a single drop of oil, and here they are... canned food and powdered milk! A visit from the Women's Federation?
Maybe it was a gift from some godfather or godmother? Hehe..."
She deliberately emphasized the words "godfather and godmother", which was full of suggestive meaning.
All kinds of complicated gazes around were focused on Shen Lingning.
Shen Lingning’s heart sank.
Li Hongmei's malicious speculation is certainly hateful, but what makes her more alert is that if this scene is seen by the upcoming working group, how much unnecessary trouble will arise?
Especially Director Jiang, who I have never met and is said to be extremely strict.
Just then, there was another noise at the gate of the base.
A jeep and a Beijing 212 bus drove in and slowly stopped.
Several people who looked like cadres got off the car. Leading the group was a thin man in his fifties wearing glasses, with a serious face and a slim figure. He was dressed in an old Zhongshan suit that had been washed so much that it looked bleached, and he was meticulously dressed.
Someone whispered, "It's the provincial working group! They're here so soon?"
"Is that person in front... Director Jiang?"
Zhou Weiguo's eyes narrowed, and he whispered, "It's him."
The working group members were obviously attracted by the truck and the crowd, and their eyes turned over.
Director Jiang's eyes swept across the open wooden boxes, then across the family members who were talking around, and finally landed on Shen Lingning and Zhou Weiguo who were standing in the middle of the supplies. His brows were slightly furrowed, and his emotions were undetectable.
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