Meng Fuyan smiled and nodded, then took out two packs of cigarettes from her bag and handed them to the brigade leader.
Although the battalion commander really wanted it, he felt that as the battalion commander, he couldn't keep taking other people's things.
Meng Fuyan smiled and said, "Uncle Li, I'm just a girl and I don't need this cigarette. I'm grateful for your kindness and don't know how I can repay you. Please accept this as a token of my respect. Otherwise, I'll be too embarrassed to ask you for help in the future."
Tsk!
"These girls in the city really know how to talk," Captain Li said with a smile, accepting the cigarette.
Meng Fuyan took Captain Li's letter of recommendation to the commune primary school. The school was quite good, as students from the surrounding brigades all came here to study, so the school was quite large, with walls and security guards at the gate.
To put it nicely, he's a security guard; in reality, he's just an old man guarding the gate.
However, this old man is relatively young and seems to be a trained martial artist; he must have some skill.
Meng Fuyan found the principal, gave him the brigade leader's letter, and then completed the enrollment procedures for her younger brother.
Meng Yunji started school earlier and is now in the fourth grade of elementary school. The principal is a little unhappy about this. Children in the countryside start school later, some are around ten years old, and some even bring their younger siblings to school.
But there's nothing we can do; Meng Yunji was in fourth grade at school before, so this place remains the same.
After getting the books and confirming her class, Meng Fuyan let her younger brother go to the classroom to get used to it. There was still more than an hour until school ended, so she waited there and would take her brother home at noon.
There was a large supply and marketing cooperative in the commune. Meng Fuyan went in and took a look. It was quite large, and although the goods were not as complete as in the city, it was still pretty good.
The soil here is fertile, the land yields a lot, and the people here live relatively well.
Many non-staple foods have prices listed but are not in stock, such as pork, chicken, duck, and eggs.
Perhaps she came at the wrong time, or perhaps there's just a shortage of goods here. After all, ordinary people rarely buy these kinds of things; meat is usually supplied to the cities.
Meng Fuyan looked around and bought two pieces of tofu and two catties of bean sprouts.
She had all of these things in her inventory. She had stocked up on 500 jin of tofu and 200 jin of bean sprouts when she was hoarding goods before. However, things from that era would have some additives, so they were probably not as pure as those from this era.
Since she happened to come across it, Meng Fuyan bought some to take back and try.
She bought another bottle of soybean oil and a bottle of soy sauce. There were no milk candies, only fruit hard candies. Meng Fuyan weighed out a pound of them, then another pound of sandwich biscuits, and also bought a small bamboo basket.
This basket is quite small, not the rough kind; it's finely woven from bamboo, and the rim is covered with cloth, making it delicate and compact.
Meng Fuyan bought it on a whim, intending to keep it for her younger brother to carry around and play with later.
He took out a bag of spiced peanuts from his storage space, picked up his small basket, and went back to school.
At this time, there was still half an hour before my younger brother got out of school.
Meng Fuyan waited in the gatehouse. The old man guarding the gate looked to be in his fifties, with a weathered face and sharp eyes. Meng Fuyan was very familiar with this appearance.
"Grandpa, you have an extraordinary presence. Did you serve in the army when you were young?"
Grandpa Xue was taken aback. "Young man, do you know me?"
This girl looks unfamiliar.
Meng Fuyan smiled and shook her head. "I'm a newly arrived educated youth. I just arrived yesterday. My grandparents both came from the army, so I thought your demeanor was similar to theirs, which is why I asked."
Upon hearing that he was a descendant of a soldier, Grandpa Xue's eyes softened considerably, and he smiled and said, "Indeed, I served in the army when I was young. It's been so many years."
Meng Fuyan smiled and looked at Grandpa Xue with a hint of respect and admiration in her eyes. "When I was little, my grandfather always liked to tell me stories about the war. I loved listening to them. I know how hard they suffered back then. Fortunately, they were there. They were not afraid of sacrifice or hardship, which is why we have a stable country. Compared to the past, our generation is much happier. We have to thank you all for this!"
Meng Fuyan took out a bag of spiced peanuts, placed it on the table in front of her, and sat down next to the old man. "Grandpa, please try some. I roasted these myself. My maternal grandfather loved to have them with his drinks when he was alive."
Grandpa Xue was naturally fond of the pretty and sweet-talking young girl, who was also the descendant of a comrade-in-arms.
As for whether he actually knew Meng Fuyan's grandfather?
It's okay, all soldiers in the country are comrades-in-arms.
Meng Fuyan had a sweet tongue. As she listened to Grandpa Xue reminisce about his youth, she peeled peanuts, and before she knew it, half an hour had passed.
As the students were leaving school, Meng Yunji came out carrying his schoolbag.
"sister!"
Meng Fuyan pulled Meng Yunji over and introduced him, "Yunji, this is Grandpa Xue. Like our maternal grandparents, he's a retired soldier. Greet him!"
"Hello, Grandpa Xue!" Meng Yunji greeted him very obediently.
"Hello, hello!" Elderly people usually like little babies, especially well-behaved ones with sweet words.
Meng Fuyan instructed her younger brother, "From now on, you must go to school on time. Remember not to leave with any strangers at school, especially those people from the Wu family. If they come looking for you for some reason, don't meet them alone. Also, even if they say that I'm with them or that I sent them to pick you up, don't listen to them. Your sister will never let them come to find you alone, understand?"
Meng Yunji nodded obediently, "I understand!"
"Okay! Be good, the school is much safer. Don't go to secluded places alone. If a stranger tries to take you away, remember to find Grandpa Xue."
Meng Yunji nodded obediently as before.
Grandpa Xue, who was standing next to her, found it a bit strange. It was rare for parents to give their children such detailed instructions. At this age, children usually went to and from school on their own. Meng Fuyan seemed to be afraid that her younger brother would be kidnapped.
Meng Fuyan explained, "Grandpa Xue, if anyone comes to ask you about Yunji at school, it's best not to tell them, especially if they claim to be his older brother or sister. My mother passed away. My maternal grandparents were in the army for many years and didn't leave behind many children, just my mother."
“My mother sacrificed herself three years ago to protect state property. My father was a son-in-law who married into the family, and now my stepmother has moved in.”
“Grandpa, you might not believe it, but when my stepmother came into the family, she not only brought her own daughter, but also her three adult children from her maternal sister’s side. My house is big, so they have been living in my house ever since, and they even call my dad ‘Dad’.”
“I was given special treatment at the factory because of my mother, and I had a very good office job. But my stepmother wanted to take my job for her sister’s child, so she secretly enrolled me in the rural work program. I was furious, so I secretly took my household registration book and enrolled my stepmother’s children in the rural work program as well. They are all in Banqiao Brigade now, and their surname is Wu.”
“They hate my brother and me. If they try to take my brother away while I’m not around, you must help stop them. My brother will be in big trouble if he falls into their hands.”
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