Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Just moving like this, not so...
"Sure!"
The director of Nanhe Commune looked at the long counter in the bakery and asked, "Besides egg cakes and peach cakes, what else does the bakery have?"
"Basically, we have all the traditional dim sum." Liang Xin said with a smile, "You can also order any dim sum you want in advance, and we will deliver it to you at the supply and marketing cooperative once it's ready."
"Okay, I'll ask the buyer from the supply and marketing cooperative to come and negotiate the wholesale price with you!"
Liang Xin arranged for everyone to sit down and continued to finish making the dough for the honey three-knife lining.
As soon as the egg cakes and peach cakes were out of the oven, they were given to the cadres and members of Nanhe Commune to taste. After receiving unanimous high praise, they were allowed to take them back. In addition to sharing them with their families, they were also given to the director of the Nanhe Commune Supply and Marketing Cooperative to taste.
"Another allowance!"
Li Mao happily closed the door, "Liang Xin, you are really capable!"
Liang Xin looked at Wang Daya who was also happy, "But it's still very hard to pull the cart and deliver goods."
"We, the family members, all come from poor backgrounds. We have nothing but strength." Li Mao looked at Wang Daya, "Right, Daya?"
Wang Daya nodded vigorously, her eyes moistened again.
Xia Xia had already wrapped all the qingtuan in her hands. Liang Xin said, "Put a damp cloth inside the cage and steam it for fifteen minutes."
The topic was successfully changed and the bakery became busy again.
After the dough was fermented, Liang Xin asked the four people to put down their work and come over to learn how to make honey three-edged swords.
"Roll the dough into two pieces."
Liang Xin held the rolling pin, pushed forward, and pulled back, and the two pieces of dough were rolled into rectangular pieces of uniform thickness. "The inner dough was rolled into a rectangular piece of the same size."
The four of them stared at Liang Xin's hands. Her fair and slender hands were holding the rolling pin. Her rolling technique seemed to be extremely skilled. The dough became completely temperless in her hands.
But only by trying it yourself can you know how fickle the dough is. Without hundreds of times of practice, it is impossible to make the dough pieces evenly sized with just a light push.
"Two pieces of leather noodles with one piece of lining noodles in between."
Liang Xin stacked the dough into three layers, cut a long strip with a knife, rolled the long strip thin, cut it into small pieces, and took out a ruler, "10 cm long, 5 cm wide."
Zhong Xuelian immediately took note of the key points.
Liang Xin aligned the four corners of the wide side, cut three times in the middle of the folded side to make four square petals, and held them in the palm of her hand, "Three cuts of honey to make embryos."
"Everything looks so simple in your hands." Xia Xia said sincerely, "When we do it, it will be completely different."
"Do it."
Liang Xin stood up to make tea, but found that green tea had already been brewed in the enamel teacup. Without asking who brewed it, she took a sip from the teacup and said, "You guys decide what to do next."
After the three of them discussed it separately.
Let Wang Daya make egg cakes and earn a 1-cent allowance.
Zhong Xuelian made peach cakes, Li Mao and Xia Xia made honey cakes.
Liang Xin did not participate in the distribution of subsidies at all. She just went to see the seafood sent by the Xiahe Brigade while holding a cup of tea.
Looking at flower crabs, I thought of scallion and ginger flower crabs, salt and pepper flower crabs, crab meat lion heads, crab meat dumplings...
When I saw the hairtail, I started craving the golden and crispy fried hairtail and braised hairtail.
The scallops look plump, and if they are steamed with vermicelli and garlic...
Liang Xin looked away, took a sip of tea, and saw the turtle and chicken in the enamel basin.
It was her first time eating Farewell My Concubine.
Thinking of my hometown, no one wanted the crabs and turtles in the big river in the west. My eldest brother caught a huge turtle and brought it back. When my eldest sister-in-law was cooking it, the lid of the pot couldn't even hold it down.
It doesn't taste very good when cooked.
Zhong Xuelian: "Liang Xin, is it time to fry it?"
Liang Xin walked into the kitchen, poured maltose into the big pot, and slowly heated it to make it into a paste. "Keep it warm over low heat."
Next, start another pot, pour peanut oil, heat it to 70% to 80% hot, add honey and cut the raw dough three times, fry it until golden brown, then take it out and put it into the maltose pot to fry it in honey.
After three cuts, each honey bean becomes golden and translucent, crispy on the outside and glutinous on the inside, exuding a sweet fragrance.
"Liang Xin! What new products have you made?"
The family members of the service center are always the first to arrive following the smell.
Liang Xin fished out three pieces of golden honey from the big pot. "It's half past ten? Let's open the store for sale."
The bakery was once again surrounded by family members and cadres, and soon several enamel trays were snatched away and stacked together.
The freshly baked egg cakes made by Wang Daya and a new batch of peach cakes were packed into wooden drawers and moved to the cart.
The cart was padded with thick straw.
Liang Xin took out a hemp rope and tied the wooden drawer tightly. She looked at Wang Daya and said, "Today, the soldiers of the transport company arranged by Director Wu will take you there. Remember the way. You will have to walk on your own from now on."
Wang Daya skillfully picked up the load-bearing rope of the cart and put it on her shoulder. She held the handlebars with both hands and smiled at Liang Xin, "Director Liang, I, I'm going to deliver the goods."
Liang Xin nodded, and together with the other three people from the bakery, watched Wang Daya walk away pulling the flatbed cart with considerable ease.
Lu Chongfeng walked out of the division building with a black briefcase in his hand. He followed Liang Xin's gaze, then retracted his gaze and walked to the door of the bakery. "Are you off work?"
"There's still one pot left."
Liang Xin left two pieces of Qingtuan and some honey three-edged swords, "Would you like to try it?"
Lu Chongfeng took a bite of the qingtuan and tasted the red bean paste in it. He paused for a moment and found it sweet but not greasy. He took another half bite and said, "It's refreshing and delicious."
Li Mao said proudly: "We sold out as soon as it came out of the pot!"
Lu Chongfeng picked up a piece of honey biscuit and stared at the thick syrup on it for a while before taking a bite. His eyebrows raised slightly, and he was amazed by the crispy, soft and sweet taste. "Delicious!"
Li Mao said proudly: "When we brought this out, the door was almost broken!"
Lu Chongfeng looked at Li Mao's proud expression and raised his chin. He is Liang Xin's husband!
husband!
Legal!
After Liang Xin looked at the freshly baked egg cakes and peach pastries and confirmed that there was no problem, she carried the enamel basin and asked Lu Chongfeng to carry the basket of seafood back home.
"Next time you pass by Xiahe Brigade, give the basket to the secretary."
"These things are not cheap. I'll also tell him not to send so many things."
Liang Xin nodded, saw the door, thought about last night, felt uncomfortable for a moment, took out the key from her pocket and opened the door.
The sun was shining brightly. Liang Xin brought the cardboard boxes containing the chicks and ducklings to the yard, then took out the mat and surrounded them, then opened the boxes and faced the sunlight.
Xiaobai and Xiaoju heard the noise, quietly walked out of the kitchen, and scratched around the dining table with their paws.
Liang Xin and Lu Chongfeng stood under the faucet by the courtyard wall, scrubbing their fingers with a piece of soap.
"Aren't you done washing? Why are you still standing here?"
"I'll wait for you to join me."
"...What are we doing together?"
"Let's cook together."
Liang Xin glanced at the yellowish, fluffy chicks and ducklings in the sunlight, then looked at Lu Chongfeng, "You are about the same age as them."
Lu Chongfeng was stunned for a moment, and said in disbelief: "Am I so small in your eyes?"
Liang Xin nodded.
"nonsense!"
Lu Chongfeng walked to the front of the banquet, his long shadow covering the two boxes. "I am bigger than their home! How can it be the same?"
Liang Xin: "... Let's cook."
Lu Chongfeng had asked the service staff to help prepare the turtle and chicken. He took the enamel basin under the sink, cleaned it, chopped off the chicken head, chicken feet and wing tips, and then chopped the whole chicken into one-inch long and six-centimeter wide pieces and brought them to the kitchen.
Liang Xin was making steamed buns for Xiaoju and Xiaobai when she looked up and said, "What kind of a farewell to my concubine is this?"
Lu Chongfeng was puzzled, "What's wrong?"
"Isn't Farewell My Concubine made by stewing a whole chicken and a whole turtle?"
"Really? Don't worry, I'll let you taste a new version of Farewell My Concubine today!"
Liang Xin: “…”
Liang Xin sat in the stove, picked up a piece of newspaper to start the firewood, and filled the stove.
I watched Lu Chongfeng scoop a few scoops of water into the pot without covering the pot. When the water started to boil and white smoke began to come out, he put the turtle into the hot water and took it out after scalding it slightly.
Also know how to remove the membrane.
Liang Xin breathed a sigh of relief and continued to watch him chop off the claws and tail, then used the knife to cut a circle under the turtle's back shell and peel off the shell. "Who did you learn this skill from today?"
Lu Chongfeng raised his eyebrows proudly, "Canteen chef!"
Liang Xin looked at him at the stove, a smile appeared on her lips, "Why did you suddenly think of learning this dish?"
"I said I wanted to nourish my family members and asked what dish was the best for nourishing them. He told me this dish."
"...What did you say about me?"
Lu Chongfeng looked at Liang Xin, "I certainly can't say that you are that tired, I can only say that you worked hard in the bakery."
Liang Xin picked up the fire tongs and poked the ashes in the stove. "So where is it?"
Lu Chongfeng almost dropped the knife in his hand. He looked at the brand new stove top covered with small square tiles and thought of Liang Xin lying on the cement stove top before the tiles were applied...
Liang Xin looked up at him without waiting for a reply.
“.......”
I really didn't expect that just one sentence could make him breathe fast and his eyes blaze with anger.
Lu Chongfeng put down his knife and unbuttoned his military uniform.
Liang Xin subconsciously dodged and said, "Cook!"
"I need to cool down."
Lu Chongfeng put his military jacket on the back of the chair, rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt, walked to the kitchen door to feel the cool breeze, took a few deep breaths, and then turned back.
As soon as he saw Liang Xin sitting on a small stool by the stove, his cheeks flushed and his breathing became disordered again.
Lu Chongfeng thought of the old Chinese doctor who said he was a lunatic.
I have been able to endure this long without going insane.
After so many years in the army, he has continued to stand out by relying on his extraordinary self-control.
He himself couldn't believe how Liang Xin's words could make his blood boil and he couldn't control it.
"Don't tease me at this time next time."
Lu Chongfeng taught Liang Xin, "Not eating on time is bad for your health."
Liang Xin: ".......Okay."
Seeing Liang Xin's rare "well-behaved and obedient" appearance, Lu Chongfeng couldn't help but walk over and touch her head, then walked around to the stove, picked up the knife and continued working.
Liang Xin was also sweating. She took off her red woolen jacket and sat in front of the stove wearing a white cotton sweater with pink small flowers. Her cheeks were getting redder and redder from being roasted by the fire.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of deep breathing again. She looked up and met Lu Chongchong's eyes, which had been staring at her for an unknown period of time.
"Stop teasing me here, go sit in the living room and watch TV and rest!"
Liang Xin: “….”
Liang Xin picked up a small stool, sat in the yard, and stroked the soft orange fur of the little orange cat.
Xiaoju tilted his head back, squinted his eyes and let her touch him obediently. From time to time, he would hold her fingers and rub them with his white-gloved cat paws.
Xiaobai came over wagging her short tail and sat on Liangxin's black square-toed cloth shoes. The snowball covered her feet tightly.
There was a "sizzling" sound from the kitchen, and the chicken and turtle pieces were put into the pot. The aroma of stir-fried scallions, ginger, star anise and chicken wafted out.
Liang Xin looked up, faced the sunshine, closed her eyes, and felt the peace and warmth in her heart.
"alright!"
Hearing the noise coming from the kitchen, Liang Xin put Xiaoju down, stood up and looked back. She saw Lu Chongfeng pouring cooked lard into the pot, taking out turtle meat and chicken, and sprinkling black pepper on it. The rich aroma immediately hit her nose, making her hungry.
The braised Farewell My Concubine was served on the table. Lu Chongfeng picked up a piece of red chicken and put it on Liang Xin's rice.
Liang Xin took a bite of the chicken and nodded, "It tastes delicious."
Lu Chongfeng wiped the sweat off his forehead with a wet towel, picked up some turtle meat and handed it to Liang Xin, "The chef said that old turtles are actually very nutritious, but people don't know how to cook them now."
Liang Xin's expression when she was eating turtle meat was indescribable. When she tasted the slightly spicy, delicate and tender texture, she was immediately surprised, "Is it so delicious?"
“It tastes good!”
Lu Chongfeng suddenly said: "You are very good at judging people!"
Liang Xin: “?”
"Why did it come down to looking at people?"
"Didn't you say I'm a culinary genius?"
“.......”
"Yes." Liang Xin nodded while chewing the turtle meat. "That's right."
If she continues to exercise like this, her chances of developing Alzheimer's disease should be greatly reduced.
After lunch, I cleaned up the table and all the dishes.
Liang Xin was dragged by Lu Chongfeng to take a nap.
As soon as she lay on the bed, Liang Xin was hugged and rubbed by Lu Chongfeng, and she didn't know whether it was because she ate too much or she was really holding it in, but Lu Chongfeng hugged her and rubbed and touched her.
"Sleep or not?"
"Hold me while sleeping."
"How can you fall asleep when you're moving like this?"
"It moves like this, but not like that."
"......"
Lu Chongfeng used his arm as a pillow for Liang Xin, "I saw you standing in front of the bakery at noon. Why did you look unhappy?"
Liang Xin turned around in surprise.
"I don't know what you're feeling." Lu Chongfeng hooked his finger and slid it across her upturned nose. "Because of Instructor Song's family? I saw her pulling a flatbed cart and leaving."
Liang Xin lay flat in his arms, "I just feel that walking like this every day is very tiring."
"When we first got married, you seemed indifferent to everything." Lu Chongfeng said, "After coming to Jiangkou, I realized that you have a strong sense of responsibility."
Liang Xin yawned and didn't want to continue this topic.
Lu Chongfeng didn't stop, "I used to think you didn't care about anything, but now I realize it. It seems like I don't understand you at all."
Liang Xin closed her mouth and pursed it.
People around me suddenly become serious, and I’m a little uncomfortable with it.
Lu Chongfeng said to himself: "At that time, I asked you to go to the bakery to let you go to avoid being lazy. I really didn't expect that you would not only open a bakery, but also regard every family member in the bakery as part of your responsibility, just like you treated me in the military compound..."
As the voice gradually became more resentful, Liang Xin turned over to face him, "How can you compare with anyone?"
Lu Chongfeng lowered his head, "Who can't compete with me?"
"There is only one husband, who can compare with you?"
The corners of Lu Chongfeng's mouth curled up instantly, and he hugged Liang Xin tightly in his arms, "That's right, I'm the only one who can sleep in the same bed with you and hold you like this!"
"I can't breathe."
"......"
Liang Xin breathed in fresh air again and said, "Go to sleep."
Lu Chongfeng was no longer dishonest.
In the afternoon, Liang Xin just walked out of the house and met Yu Honghong who was also going out to work.
Yu Honghong walked over quickly with a kettle in her hand, "Liang Xin, your relative is in the hospital, why don't you go see him?"
Before Liang Xin could react who it was, Lu Chongfeng's face, which had just woken up from a good sleep, fell.
"who?"
"Wei Yuanyang!"
Yu Honghong looked at him reproachfully, "Are you really relatives? Forget it, I'll tell you, he drank with the leaders and got hospitalized!"
"Why do you care about him so much?" Lu Chongfeng asked, "Do you know him?"
Yu Honghong choked and her face turned slightly red. "Isn't it because I have a good relationship with Liang Xin that I care about your relatives?"
Lu Chongfeng was puzzled, "Who are you close to?"
Yu Honghong: “…”
Fortunately, she was used to Section Chief Lu not giving face to anyone, so she didn't take it seriously. She looked at Liang Xin and said, "Anyway, that's it. I only came to tell you after hearing the logistics staff mention this person."
Liang Xin smiled and said, "As soon as the logistics staff mentioned Wei Yuanyang, did you know who he was?"
Yu Honghong's face turned even redder, and she looked down at her watch. "Oh, it's already half past one. I'm going to be late. I'll leave first!"
Lu Chongfeng looked at the person who ran away hurriedly, "When did she become friends with us?"
Liang Xin turned around and asked, "Is this the point?"
"So what's the point?"
"...Go to work."
After the bakery adjusted the official salary, everyone felt relieved.
I am glad that I did not choose to work in a pharmaceutical factory.
Because they not only have a fixed salary, but can also learn new skills every day and work as a glamorous salesperson, the three of them take the initiative to give their allowances to Wang Daya every day without any complaints.
Wang Daya became more and more skilled in using the sewing machine. She could finish a shoe upper in less than a minute. Excluding the time spent making snacks in the morning and going back and forth to deliver goods, she could earn 8 cents to 20 cents from the piecework fees of the shoe uppers.
At the end of the day, if you can't make a dollar, at least you'll make 70 or 80 cents.
Wang Daya is very satisfied with herself. She is full of energy at work every day. After work, she goes to Deputy Commander Zhu's home as usual to attend cultural tutoring. Compared to when she first entered the bakery, her mental outlook has changed and she has become more positive.
When I pushed open the door of the bakery, Li Mao, Zhong Xuelian and Xia Xia had already arrived and were taking out the yellow basin and tools and placing them on the dough board.
"Liang Xin!"
The director of the service center pushed open the door of the bakery. "Your phone number."
Liang Xin was surprised, "My phone number?"
This was the first time someone called her.
I walked into the service center director's office with a lot of guesses in my mind, thinking of many people, but I didn't expect that when I answered the phone, it was Wang Daya.
"Sister-in-law Daya?"
"Director Liang, I, I still want to say goodbye to you in person."
Liang Xin frowned, "Where are you?"
"I am at my hometown, at the train station, at the post office."
"......What happened?"
"Her father said that he felt sorry for me and asked me to go home and take care of the child."
Liang Xin listened patiently, "Did he give you a salary?"
"Give it to me. Say, give me half every month."
"Just give you money and let you go back?"
"Yes, I'll give you fifty. I'll send you the money monthly from now on."
Liang Xin saw the red brick building of the Division Hospital's inpatient department from the office window of the service agency director. "I'd be happy if you could have an easier life. Working in a bakery is unstable, and it's really hard to deliver goods back and forth every day. Go back home and take care of your health. If you're not short of money, don't work so hard."
Wang Daya suddenly started crying on the phone.
Liang Xin continued, "It's okay. When you come to visit us in the future, we will have a chance to meet again."
"Director Liang, I don't know if I can still see you again if there's a chance."
Liang Xin paused for a second, "What does this mean?"
"He, he, he said, said..."
Wang Daya said more than ten times but couldn't come up with the rest of the story.
This is not because of stuttering, but because it is really difficult to say.
"What did he say?"
Hearing Wang Daya sobbing and trying to say a few more words but still unable to finish, Liang Xin said, "Hang up the phone, it will be too late to say anything else."
The sobbing stopped suddenly.
Liang Xin waited patiently.
"He said, let me... borrow your seed."
Liang Xin clenched the receiver slightly, took a deep breath, and exhaled, "Go on."
"He said that he couldn't give birth to a son and asked me to find a way. Otherwise, he wouldn't have a son. He didn't need me to sue him. He also had no face to live. He wanted a divorce."
Liang Xin asked, "Sister Daya, what are your plans now?"
The call of "Sister Daya" brought a suppressed, trembling, hoarse cry to Liang Xin's ears through the phone.
"Director Liang, I know that you are really good to me. I don't know what to do. Can you tell me what I should do?"
Liang Xin slowed down her voice and said slowly: "Sister Daya, tell him that you have arrived home by calling the post office first, and then buy a ticket and come back immediately. I will pick you up at Jiangkou Railway Station. You must not do what he says, and do not stay overnight. Come back immediately."
"Okay, okay, I'll buy it now. No, no, call now, tell him, and then buy the ticket."
Liang Xin hung up the phone and immediately went to the Parents' Committee.
Wang Daya took the train for a whole day in fear and arrived at Jiangkou Railway Station late at night.
As soon as I got off the train, I saw Liang Xin on the platform. Tears immediately welled up in my eyes and my vision became blurred.
Liang Xin put a straw hat on Wang Daya's head, took Xiao Ya's hand, walked out of the train station, and got into Lu Chongfeng's car parked at the door.
The car left the train station and drove all the way to Xiahe Brigade of Nanhe Commune.
"Comrade Liang Xin, Chief Lu."
Huang, secretary of Xiahe Brigade, held a flashlight and looked at Liang Xin who had just got off the bus with a smile on his face. "As soon as I received the news, I immediately went to the village entrance to wait for her."
Liang Xin stepped forward and shook hands with Secretary Huang. "Secretary Huang, I'm sorry to bother you this time."
Secretary Huang said, "What trouble? Don't you know? I just hope you will trouble us more!"
Liang Xin turned around and looked at Wang Daya, "Sister Daya, you should know the Xiahe Brigade?"
Wang Daya nodded, "I know, heroes, hero village."
"It's very safe here." Liang Xin said, "Secretary Huang's daughter just got married and left an empty room. You can live here with Xiaoya for a month."
Wang Daya nodded again, her face tense, "Director Liang, will this, this, implicate, you guys?"
"No." Liang Xin said: "After a month, if he has no bad intentions, nothing will happen. If he has bad intentions..."
Wang Daya held her daughter's hand and clenched it into a fist, with tears in her eyes. After a while, she bowed to Liang Xin and Lu Chongfeng, and then bowed to Secretary Huang.
On the way back, Lu Chongfeng's face was as cold as ice, and his hands holding the steering wheel were squeezed until they turned white.
Even after he went to the Family Committee and reported his safety to Chairman Shi and returned home, Lu Chongfeng's complexion had not improved.
Liang Xin sat on the sofa and took the wash basin he handed over. "It's possible that he didn't do anything. He really just wanted a son so badly. Besides, there are more than 10,000 soldiers in the 11th Division, and only one or two of them have died. They can't represent the entire army."
Lu Chongfeng unbuttoned his clothes, took off his uniform, and paced back and forth. He was so angry that veins popped out on the side of his neck. He suddenly cursed, "You bastard!"
Liang Xin laughed and covered his neck with a hot towel. "You guys keep an eye on him. Don't let him find out about the big sister from the Xiahe Brigade."
Lu Chongfeng calmed his breath and said, "Don't worry, I will train him so hard that he can't even get up!"
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