The following morning, Gao Guojing ate the braised meat with gusto, his speech still clear: "This is the taste! I haven't tasted this in years. It's so delicious and fragrant. I wish I could eat it every day."
Yu Rujia: "When you went back, didn't you bring back more than a dozen packets of braised food seasoning? How could you say you haven't had any for so long?"
When Gao Guojing went back to serve in the army, he brought mostly meat and soap. In addition, he brought more than a dozen packets each of braised food seasoning and hot pot seasoning.
You can't eat this every day; a few times a year is about right. It won't wear off so quickly.
Gao Guojing said indignantly, "Don't even mention it, the smell is too good. We made braised meat at home once, and people all around us smelled it and came over to ask about it."
"The matter of the braised food seasoning can't be kept secret anymore. Even the hot pot seasoning has been mostly taken away. The little we kept was used up in less than a year. Sister Rujia, please help me prepare some more seasoning. I'll take it with me when I go back this time."
Yu Rujia hadn't expected this situation.
That's how it is in the military region; they value camaraderie. If there's anything good, this comrade shares a little, that comrade shares a little, and then it's gone.
Yu Rujia: "Duo Shou can make both of these seasonings, but the ingredients might not be enough. You can go around with him for the next few days and see how much seasoning you can bring back. That depends on your efforts."
Gao Guojing: "Wow, Duoshou is so amazing. I'll have to work hard for Duoshou these next few days."
Duo Shou laughed and said, "No problem. We'll take a few people up the mountain and collect as much as we can."
Gao Guojing smacked his lips: "Besides seasonings, bring plenty of soap too. We've used up all the soap we brought back last time. I hadn't used soap for over a month before coming here. Are there mugwort leaves on the mountain now?"
More than four years ago, he brought back two hundred bars of soap, and together with Xia Jingrong, there were four of them using them; there were also some relationships to maintain, so he gave away twenty or thirty bars to people.
He used the soap sparingly, but he still finished it all more than a month ago.
On days without soap, Gao Guojing felt extremely uncomfortable.
With the year-end approaching, he took all the vacation days he had saved up over the years and came to Shangfen Brigade to tell the people there about the latest changes in the Xia family, and also to take a batch of soap back with him.
If this were in the north, there would definitely be no mugwort now. This is the southernmost part of the country, so it gets hot quickly. While other places are still covered in white during the Spring Festival, this place is already lush and green.
Yu Rujia: "There should be some, they've just started to grow. Go and take a look."
Gao Guojing: "That's good. We'll find more people and go to more places. We'll eventually be able to put together enough."
When they learned that he was coming to Shangfen Brigade, several people told him before he left to take more soap back with him, because if he didn't take enough, he wouldn't have any left.
When Gao Guojing arrived at Shangfen Brigade, he spent his days wandering around the mountains with a few kids.
When he had finished making the rounds, Gao Guojing had accumulated a considerable amount of mugwort leaves at home, so he stayed home to make soap.
Duo Shou and his brothers continued up the mountain to find seasonings and mugwort.
Duo Shou can also make soap, but there are some seasonings that only he and Yu Rujia know. If Yu Rujia doesn't go up the mountain, then he will have to.
The Gao brothers, Yu Rujia, and a baby girl named Duoyi, who was just over a month old, were left at home.
Gao Shujing and Yu Rujia were grinding tofu when Huajuan ran over and rubbed against Yu Rujia, gesturing for her to go over to Duoyi's place.
With several adults in the family needing to work, Duofu and the others went up the mountain, leaving the task of looking after Duoyi to Huajuan Mantou.
The two dogs have extensive experience taking care of babies. Yu Rujia instructed them to notify her when Duoyi woke up, and the two dogs would complete their task.
Yu Rujia called out loudly, "Guojing, Duoyi is awake. Go and see him."
Gao Guojing's soap had already reached the solidification stage and was just waiting for time to set, so he was temporarily free. That's why Yu Rujia instructed him to do the work.
Gao Guojing responded and went over to check on Duoyi, only to find that he had urinated.
He had changed diapers for Dorje many times before, so he picked up a diaper and changed it for Dorje.
Gao Guojing, who was originally relaxed and comfortable, immediately became stiff when he took off Duoyi's dirty diaper.
Because he discovered a terrifying truth: their sweet and soft little girl was actually a stinky boy.
Gao Guojing trembled as he changed Duoyi's diaper, then carried the pink little one to the couple. Huajuan and Mantou followed closely behind him, their eyes fixed on Duoyi in his arms.
Gao Guojing: "Brother, Sister Rujia, Duoyi has turned into a boy. How could this happen? What should we do?"
This person's foolishness in front of his own family remained unchanged. He never considered that Duoyi had been a boy from beginning to end. Instead, he assumed that Duoyi had suddenly turned into a boy, and his voice changed in fright.
Gao Shujing calmly pushed the millstone and said lightly, "Duoyi has always been a boy."
Gao Guojing heard his own faint voice: "Then why do you keep saying he's a girl?"
Gao Shujing: "It has always been the children who have said that he is a girl; we have never said that."
Gao Guojing pressed further, "Why did they say Duoyi was a girl?"
Gao Shujing explained, "From the time Rujia became pregnant, the children have been calling her 'little sister.' When Duoyi was born, they didn't even ask and just assumed she was the little sister. We couldn't correct them."
Gao Guojing: "Do Duofu and the others know that Duoyi is a boy?" He thought that their generation would finally have a girl, but it turns out that it's a boy. He was happy for nothing.
Gao Shujing: "Of course I don't know. If I did, I wouldn't have kept calling Duoyi 'little sister'."
Gao Guojing: "Aren't you going to tell them the truth?"
Yu Rujia suggested, "Why don't you go and tell them?"
The group of children are becoming more and more devoted to Duoyi, their "little sister," and they really can't bring themselves to say that Duoyi is their "little brother."
If Gao Guojing really goes to talk to him, he should be able to provide good after-sales service, right?
Gao Guojing felt that a short, sharp pain was better than a long, drawn-out one, so he resolutely accepted the task.
A group of children returned from the mountain. As usual, their first stop was the hand pump well to clean themselves up, and then they ran to the cradle to see their 'little sister'.
Duolu was the first to reach out and touch Duoyi's soft little face, looking like a lovesick girl: "That's the feeling. Duoyi has grown even more beautiful in just half a day."
This is what it feels like to have a younger sister. It's amazing. He wished he could have his sister by his side every moment.
Unfortunately, his younger sister was too small to be exposed to the wind, so he had to reluctantly leave her at home.
Thinking this, Duolu touched Xiaoduoyi's face a few more times; it was so tender, smooth, and soft.
Seeing this, Duofu's face darkened, and he yanked his hand away: "That's enough touching. Your hands are rough, don't hurt Duoyi."
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