Chapter 52
Nie Bai held up the bamboo puppet made by Chu Shao and curiously turned the joints of the puppet's arms. He didn't need anyone to explain, as he had already learned how to play with the puppet by himself. He bent the knees and arms. Looking at the puppet's screaming posture, Nie Bai laughed like a 200-pound child.
When he saw the letter paper Chu Jiujiu put inside, explaining that it was Chu Liqiang who was made by Chu Shao, he laughed even more happily.
…
Chu Liqiang didn't mind these things. He had long known how strong Chu Shao's hands-on ability was. He just found it strange that with Chu Shao's taciturn personality, how could he do something that was no different from acting like a spoiled child.
When he got the letter and saw the even more mushy words on it, Chu Liqiang laughed and made his final conclusion in his heart.
No need to ask, it must have been Chu Jiujiu who acted on her own initiative, and Chu Shao was definitely unaware of it. If he knew, he would have to fight with Chu Jiujiu.
As expected of relatives, Chu Jiujiu and Chu Liqiang even have similar train of thought.
…
No matter what Chu Shao made this doll for, as long as it was made by his son, Chu Liqiang would keep it as a treasure. Taking the doll back from Nie Bai, Chu Liqiang lowered his head and continued to look through the contents of the package.
Wild Ganoderma lucidum, wild Tremella fuciformis, lard residue, half a can of lard, and a large bag of dried shiitake mushrooms...
Chu Shao still doesn't know that Chu Jiujiu secretly took away all the mushrooms in the house. She hates mushrooms and wishes all the mushrooms in the world would disappear. Every night before going to bed, when she thinks of the many dried mushrooms stored in the main room outside, she can't help but want to do something bad.
Now, everything is packed and sent out. If Chu Shao asks about it, she is not afraid of being scolded. After all, she is just being filial.
Chu Liqiang picked up the letter and read out the contents in a low voice. "I'm giving you the Ganoderma lucidum and Tremella fuciformis to make a nourishing soup for you. I made the lard and lard residue myself, and it's super delicious. You must eat it all and not give any to anyone else. Finally, this bag of shiitake mushrooms was dried for me by Han Shengyi's grandmother. I want to give it to Uncle Nie. Thank you for your help. These shiitake mushrooms are all wild. Uncle Nie, please try them first. If you like them, I'll send you more later."
When Nie Bai heard this, he immediately squeezed over and said, "What about mine? Let me see."
After taking a quick glance at the letter, Nie Bai found that he was mentioned in it. He smiled like a flower. "Oh, how can I be so embarrassed? There are so many pure wild mushrooms. This child has a really good heart. How did she know that my husband loves to eat mushrooms?"
Chu Jiujiu certainly didn’t know. She just wanted to find someone to take over these things she didn’t like. Not only would it solve the problem, but she could also do a favor, killing two birds with one stone!
…
Since the letter said that these were all for him, Nie Bai didn't hesitate and took all the mushrooms away. If he remembered correctly, Chu Liqiang didn't like mushrooms at all. Not only did he not like them, he even wanted to vomit after eating them. He didn't need to pretend to be rich and share these mushrooms for the sake of face.
His wife was going to be happy tonight, and when his wife was happy, Nie Bai would be happy too. After a while of happiness, Nie Bai suddenly thought of a question, "Brother Chu, who is this Chu Jiujiu in your family?"
Chu Liqiang also wanted to know this question.
Nie Bai glanced at the letter again, feeling even more puzzled. "She never addressed you at all, always saying 'you'. She even called me 'Uncle Nie'. Did you offend that girl?"
Chu Liqiang: "..."
So far, he has only spoken to Chu Jiujiu on the phone once and received a letter from her once. How could he possibly offend her?
But Nie Bai was right. Chu Jiujiu and Chu Shao were both intentionally avoiding the question of address. Chu Liqiang read the last letter, the first one with content, every night before bed. He could even recite its contents by heart. And in that letter, Chu Shao didn't mention anything about Chu Jiujiu's identity. Even Chu Jiujiu herself hadn't mentioned it, so Chu Liqiang had to think about it more.
Is there something wrong with her identity?
Could it be that she also has a secret that she has to hide, and even the name Chu Jiujiu is a pseudonym she made up for safety?
Chu Liqiang racked his brains but couldn't figure out Chu Jiujiu's true identity. He thought, forget it, there's still a long way to go. Judging from Chu Shao's expression, he and Chu Jiujiu are now very close. If their relationship remains unchanged, sooner or later, he will meet this little girl named Chu Jiujiu in person. By then, it will be too late to find out.
After returning to his dormitory, Chu Liqiang wrote another letter to Chu Shao and the others. This time, he no longer asked about Chu Jiujiu's identity. He simply cooperated with the two children. He no longer mentioned any title or self-proclaimed name, and they tacitly put the issue aside.
No matter who Chu Jiujiu is, her attitude is quite cute, and the lard she brought is also quite delicious. The food in the army is good, and we can eat meat once a week, but in a big pot of food, there are only two or three pieces of pork belly at most. Every time we eat, it's like looking for your sister. Without a pair of sharp eyes, don't even think about getting the meat into your mouth.
Except for some special departments, all teams have the same food. Even the division commander can only come to the cafeteria to eat. The only difference is that the division commander has a guard, so he doesn't have to come in person. He can just send the guard to get him food.
On the Mid-Autumn Festival, the kitchen staff made mooncakes for all the soldiers. Originally, Chu Shao didn't like these sweet things, but recently his appetite has improved a little, so like other soldiers, he also took a mooncake back.
Mid-Autumn Festival is a day for family reunion, but Chu Liqiang had no family members around him. He ate mooncakes silently in the dormitory for a while. He asked for leave from the company commander of the second company, then ran to the military family area, bought a bunch of things from the supply and marketing cooperative, and sent them to Chu Shao and others.
Since he couldn't be with them, he could only compensate Chu Shao with money. Thinking of Chu Jiujiu, he went around the supply and marketing cooperative and bought her something that girls were said to like.
If we send it now, it will take about ten days to arrive at Qingzhu Village, and by that time the Mid-Autumn Festival will have long passed. Chu Liqiang sighed and secretly made a note in his mind that he must prepare it earlier next time.
He thought Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu were having a bleak Mid-Autumn Festival, but in fact, they were having a very warm one. On the morning of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Chu Shao, Chu Jiujiu, and Han Shengyi went to town to buy mooncakes. At that time, there were no mooncakes in fancy gift boxes. The most popular item sold at the supply and marketing cooperative was loose mooncakes; you could choose any flavor you wanted. As for the ones wrapped in oil paper and hemp rope, people would only buy a bunch when visiting relatives.
Before reaching the supply and marketing cooperative, Chu Shao turned around and asked Chu Jiujiu and Han Shengyi, "What fillings do you two want? There will definitely be a lot of people buying mooncakes today. I'll grab some for you guys later. Just watch yourselves and don't fall."
Han Shengyi: "Have you forgotten that I am the same age as you, I can also rob."
Chu Shao looked him up and down, and finally stopped his gaze on the top of his head. It was obvious what he was thinking.
Han Shengyi: “…”
What’s so great about developing early?
Chu Jiujiu was unaware of the undercurrent between the two. She was struggling with her decision, and after a while, she finally made up her mind: "I want one with lava custard filling, one with double yolk calla lily paste filling, and two with rose ham filling. Oh, right! Do you sell snow skin mooncakes here? If you do, I'd also like one with durian filling."
The two people over there turned their heads silently and looked at her in silence.
Chu Jiujiu looked innocent: "What's the matter?"
Chu Shao: “…”
Han Shengyi: “…”
Here it comes again, Chu Jiujiu's mysterious and otherworldly tone of a young lady comes again.
When he felt speechless, Han Shengyi would not criticize Chu Jiujiu, especially when Chu Shao was present, he didn't need to say a word.
Because Chu Shao would speak for him.
Holding up four fingers, Chu Shao ruthlessly asked her to choose: "Red bean paste, five-nut paste, jujube paste, lotus paste, only these four, and there's also a rose ham filling. Why don't you want one with a gold pearl filling?"
Chu Jiujiu tugged at the corner of her clothes and lowered her head, "Gold and pearls cannot be chewed."
Chu Shao: “…”
Still talking back?
He raised his eyebrows and wanted to continue criticizing her, but at this moment, Han Shengyi came over. He took Chu Jiujiu's hand and asked her to get closer to him. "This is a small place. The stuffing you want..."
Han Shengyi wanted to say that it was only sold in big cities, but remembering his own experience living in a big city, he paused and swallowed the words, "If you want to eat it, we can make it ourselves in the future."
Seeing that Chu Jiujiu was still unhappy, Han Shengyi smiled and said, "I heard that there's a new kind of small cake in town, with a white thing spread on it called cream. Didn't you say you wanted to eat some cake? Let's go buy some and try it later."
Chu Jiujiu's ears twitched. She raised half of her face, looking a little doubtful. "Is this the little cake I've eaten before?"
Han Shengyi: "Maybe, maybe not. You'll know after you buy it."
Chu Jiujiu thought about it, and her mood began to soar. In a 50-50 situation, she always leaned towards the better option. Mooncakes were nothing, small cakes were the best! She hadn't tasted cream in a long time!
In modern times, Chu Jiujiu actually didn't like sweets that much, but when she came here, there was a serious shortage of food at first, so she missed rice very much. Later, there was a serious shortage of oil, so she missed braised pork very much. Now that she has food and meat, she began to miss those snacks that she didn't know how to cherish before.
Chu Jiujiu became excited and pulled Han Shengyi forward. Chu Shao was left behind by the two of them and was very angry.
Chu Shao didn't understand why Han Shengyi had an extremely strong urge to beat him up on the spot even though he hadn't done anything bad and had even coaxed Chu Jiujiu.
…
In addition to buying mooncakes, they also had to buy some things that Grandma Han asked them to buy, such as candy, melon seeds, candles and other items. The three children bought them while playing in the town. They went there in the morning and came back in the afternoon just before dinner. By then, Grandma Han had already prepared dinner.
After the three children came back, Grandma Han asked Chu Jiujiu to help set the table, and asked Chu Shao to go over to light the fire. Then she asked Han Shengyi to take the mooncakes and the divided melon seeds and deliver them to the next door one by one.
Grandma Han paid for all the expenses today. A mooncake cost a few cents, so she bought eight for the five people in her family, and one for each of the four people in the other family. Xiao Ning and others were naturally happy to receive the mooncakes. Song Chaoxin and Fang Weiping said thank you and went back to the house. However, Xiao Ning did not go back immediately. She asked Han Shengyi several questions, and her words implied that she wanted to go to his house for dinner together.
She didn't want to eat for free, she just felt that her home was too quiet. Besides, Chu Jiujiu basically never came to her house except for classes. Today was a special holiday, and she wanted to spend it with her.
Han Shengyi looked at Xiao Ning and smiled. He answered all her questions but didn't respond to her. When Xiao Ning was about to run out of patience and asked him directly if she could come over, Han Shengyi found an excuse and ran away. Xiao Ning had no choice but to carry the mooncake and return to the house in disappointment.
Today is a special day, Han Shengyi also thinks so.
Therefore, he only wanted to live with his own family, Chu Jiujiu and Chu Shao's family. He didn't want so many outsiders to get involved. If so, there would be no meaning in reunion.
If he expressed this idea, he would be criticized as selfish, but Han Shengyi didn't care. What's wrong with being selfish? Every minute and every second of a person's life belongs to him. Why should he accommodate others' joys and sorrows?
Less than a week had passed since Zhou Xiaohe was sent away, and the village was still discussing the matter after dinner. As for Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu, they were only questioned the next day by Grandpa and Grandma Han, who had finally learned the news. The two elders couldn't help but feel something was amiss. Chu Jiujiu had been absent-minded in class for the past few days, and Han Shengyi had become much more silent. They suspected the incident was linked to the children, and upon questioning, they discovered it was indeed the case.
Zhou Xiaohe had been arrested, so they no longer had to worry about being retaliated against. The three children sat on their own mats and talked to each other, telling all the plans they had secretly implemented. By the end, Grandma Han was so angry that she laughed.
They are really good! From the oldest Chu Shao to the youngest Chu Jiujiu, the three of them have clear division of labor and tacit cooperation, and they have taken a group of adults into account.
If these three children weren't so old, she would have spanked them!
Grandma Han sat on the bed with a stern face, slamming the bed board. Her voice was full of anger. Chu Shao and the others sat on the ground and could only endure the scolding silently. They did not dare to refute. After all, everything Grandma Han said was right. They should not make decisions on their own without consulting the adults, and they should not be so fearless and self-righteous as to play with people's hearts.
"How old are you? You're lucky this time. The villagers are simple-minded and they didn't think of you, so everything went as you expected. What if there was a smart one among these people? What if there was another accomplice of Zhou Xiaohe whom you didn't know about? How could you still be sitting here like this?"
"Who came up with this idea? Tell me!"
It was fine if Grandma Han didn't lose her temper, but when she did, it was terrifying. Chu Jiujiu's heart almost stopped beating. She looked at Grandma Han fearfully and raised her hand tremblingly: "Yes, it's me."
Han Shengyi sat beside her. He quickly pulled down Chu Jiujiu's half-extended arm, then answered as calmly as possible: "Grandma, it's me. We were not thoughtful enough and made you worry. It's our fault."
The idea was indeed proposed by Chu Jiujiu, but more details were reinforced, which was all thanks to Han Shengyi. Anyway, no matter who it was, it had nothing to do with Chu Shao. He was also one of the people who was left out. Looking at these two people being scolded, he felt a secret sense of satisfaction in his heart that you two also had the same day.
…
Grandma Han wasn't really angry with them, she was just afraid that if something happened to them, she would have to spend the rest of her life blaming herself.
A blow, followed by a sweet treat. Grandma Han's fury was enough to scare the three of them for a long time. At least at this stage of their immaturity, they wouldn't dare do such things again. After Grandma Han finished scolding them, Grandpa Han quickly got out of bed and comforted them one by one.
It is your duty to avenge your mother. However, now that you have already done so, don't do it again. You are still children. You should be happy and keep things simple. Leave the complicated matters to the adults.
Chu Jiujiu quietly listened to Grandpa Han's gentle words, occasionally stealing glances at Grandma Han. Luckily, she only mentioned the beginning, not the later part, where she and Chu Shao went to piss off Zhou Xiaohe. Chu Jiujiu herself hadn't expected her to say such things. Every word was so heartbreaking, like a villain in a TV series.
It was only after she finished speaking that Chu Jiujiu realized how much resentment she had harbored. She didn't cry, scream, or curse. She remained quiet, silently making plans and setting traps. She had always believed that Zhang Fengjuan was just Chu Shao's mother, her great-grandmother, and that her feelings for her weren't that deep. So, she did all this to make Chu Shao feel better.
When the door was closed, facing the culprit who indirectly killed Zhang Fengjuan, Chu Jiujiu finally didn't have to suppress herself anymore. She directed all her complaints and anger at Zhou Xiaohe, perhaps mixed with a little of her previous emotions.
Judging from her own experience, her parents also died in an accident, but unlike Zhang Fengjuan, she could at least find a culprit in Zhang Fengjuan's case, but she couldn't even find anyone to blame for her parents' death.
New grievances and old grievances were all carried away in that room by the crazy Zhou Xiaohe. So after leaving that room, Chu Jiujiu felt extremely happy, as if there had been a wound in her heart that had been festering and hurt every time it was touched, but now it was healed, the pus stopped flowing, the wound gradually healed, and from now on, she would never feel pain again.
Every word she said that day was like a curse, etched into Zhou Xiaohe's bones. Whenever she thought of it, she would burst into tears. She had known Zhao Qianjin since she was young and had lived for him for half her life. It could be said that he was the meaning of her life. However, now, the meaning of her life had been shattered by Chu Jiujiu. She thought Chu Jiujiu was a complete monster. She said it, and she would definitely do it. But in reality, Chu Jiujiu went back to sleep, and when she woke up refreshed, she threw all those words behind her.
The old grudges have been settled, but her life with Chu Shao is still going on. They have to leave Qingzhu Village and go to a wider world. Who has the time to fight with her?
Just after being comforted by Grandpa Han, Chu Jiujiu ran over again, hugged Grandma Han's waist and began to comfort her. When she was sweet-mouthed, she could say anything, regardless of shame or not. Grandma Han was forced to listen to repeated "I was wrong", "Grandma Han, you have to forgive me", "You can't stop loving me". Her face froze after listening to it, and she wished she could tear Chu Jiujiu apart and throw her out of the house.
…
After hearing so much sweet talk, I thought Grandma Han would be choked to death, but who knew that her tolerance was even stronger. When faced with Chu Jiujiu's sugar-coated bullets again, Grandma Han could accept it without blinking, and then told her: "Go set up the stool."
…
Grandma Han cooked three dishes and a soup, and added the mooncakes she bought and the fruits that Grandpa Han had picked from the mountain this morning. The five of them spent a happy Mid-Autumn Festival. No one thought about the unhappy things, and just focused on the present. After Chu Jiujiu finished her meal, she took out the small cake she bought today from her pocket and gave everyone a spoonful.
The small cakes cost eight cents each, which was not expensive. However, they were too small. Chu Shao could eat one in one bite, but he still opened his mouth wide. When Chu Jiujiu handed him the spoon, he took a sip and swallowed the cake. This little bit of food was not even enough to fill the gaps between his teeth, let alone taste it.
The others were just like Chu Shao. They clearly couldn't taste anything, but they still praised it as delicious. Even Chu Jiujiu didn't taste any specific flavor when she tried it herself. However, after hearing everyone's praise, she actually felt that the cake was delicious, even better than the big cakes she bought in modern exquisite cake shops.
After sharing the cake, they started playing games again. Laughter and joyful chatter continued to come out from the Han family's window. When the people next door heard it, they felt different emotions.
Xiao Ning missed her daughter even more, Deng Guoyuan thought of his parents who were far away from home, and Fang Weiping was alone and didn't think of anyone. He just felt that the mooncakes sold in the supply and marketing cooperative were not as delicious as the ones his students gave him before. Could it be that the supply and marketing cooperative here was cutting corners?
As for Song Chaoxin, he sat on a recliner, with his toes touching the ground, letting the recliner rock gently. He looked at the moon hanging high in the sky, and listened to the lively sounds coming from his ears. He couldn't help but sigh slowly.
When will this kind of days end...
——
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the temperature plummets like the stock market during turbulent times.
Chu Liqiang was in the army and it was still quite hot there, so he didn't change into long-sleeved clothes. He boiled white fungus into soup among the things Chu Jiujiu gave him and drank it for a few days. It turned out that the white fungus tasted good and was effective. It was only a few days, and he used to cough constantly every night when he slept. Now, the cough is gone and even his body feels more energetic than before.
Chu Liqiang couldn't help but sigh. Qingzhu Village was truly a wonderful place. It could raise a woman as beautiful as his wife, and even grow Tremella fuciformis, which has the inherent health-strengthening properties. He had originally thought that since wild Ganoderma lucidum was so rare, he should keep it so that he could give it to his superiors or leaders in the future. Now, he felt a little reluctant to give it away. Such a good thing was impossible to buy even if he wanted it, so it was better not to give it away and save it for his family.
Chu Liqiang has been looking for an opportunity to meet with the superiors during this period. His old superior is too busy, and there are several combat troops around him, so he can't see him for a while. Besides, he is an adult with hands and feet, and he can't always go to the old superior for everything. With his own ability, it is not impossible for him to leave the second company.
He just had to be low-key and not let others see at a glance that he was deliberately approaching her in order to get promoted.
Chu Jiujiu wrote the recipe for lard rice on her letter paper. These days, Chu Liqiang would go to the cafeteria in person every few days, get a bowl of steaming hot rice, and then make a bowl of fragrant lard rice according to Chu Jiujiu's instructions.
Every time Chu Liqiang did this, the delicious food was so delicious that the soldiers around him couldn't stand it. Some of them shamelessly asked him for more, but because Chu Jiujiu used several exclamation marks in the letter, strongly requesting that he must eat it himself, and Chu Liqiang really didn't want to share, they all declined.
But today is different.
Chu Liqiang was thinking about how to approach the leaders of the division headquarters. He was stirring the rice unconsciously when suddenly, he heard a child crying next to him.
"Woo woo woo, I want to eat, I want to eat!"
The child is only three years old this year. He is not so naughty usually, but today, he fell ill and had a high fever. His mother took him to the health center for an injection, and then rushed to the nearest canteen to make him a bowl of hot soup and some meat to nourish his body.
Who knew that as soon as he walked in, the child smelled the fragrance from Chu Liqiang's side and immediately cried for food. His mother coaxed him for a long time in embarrassment, but seeing that it was of no use, she had no choice but to carry the child over.
"Hello, can I ask what you are eating?"
Chu Liqiang raised his head and saw the woman opposite him. He paused for a second before he remembered who she was.
Isn’t this the lover of Director Wang of the headquarters?
Chu Liqiang smiled gently, "Sister-in-law, why did you come here in person? This is your little son, his face is so red, is he sick?"
In fact, Director Wang's wife didn't know who Chu Liqiang was at all, but when she heard his familiar tone, she also laughed helplessly, "Yeah, it's not that the season has changed recently, and I caught a cold again, and I also had a fever. I had a fever all night yesterday, and I almost scared myself to death. I'm sorry to say that he insisted on eating your food. What is this? I'll go buy him one."
Chu Liqiang: "This, sister-in-law, you can't buy it, this is..."
After a pause, Chu Liqiang continued, "My family sent me some lard. I used to use it for cooking, but this is the first time I've used it with rice. So, sister-in-law, take this. The child is so sick, so he needs to eat something good. However, he has a cold, so he can't eat such a greasy food, right?"
Director Wang's wife quickly explained, "It's okay! The doctor said to let the child eat whatever he wants. He doesn't cough, and he doesn't have any serious symptoms. Eating more meat will help him recover faster! You must have spent a lot of money on this can of lard. So, I'll give it to you..."
As she put the child down, she was about to pay. Chu Liqiang naturally wouldn't let her, so he simply handed her the glass jar. There was still half of the jar left. Director Wang's wife was a little embarrassed to see that he wouldn't accept the money, but she was also very happy. She chatted with Chu Liqiang for a while. In his words, Chu Liqiang kept belittling the price of lard, but also emphasized the rarity of its cooking method. This way, Director Wang's wife would remember his favor, but she wouldn't be too wary and dare not accept the glass jar.
After the chat, Director Wang's wife left happily. Chu Liqiang was also very happy because she had just said that if he needed anything in the future, he could go to her. It is not easy to be alone in the army, and comrades should help each other.
As long as there was an opportunity, Chu Liqiang would seize it tightly. Within two days, he and Director Wang's wife had become closer, and even his youngest son had fallen in love with this uncle surnamed Chu. Within two days, he met Director Wang, and the two talked about their respective military experiences, and the conversation was very pleasant.
At the end of September, Chu Liqiang heard that the division headquarters needed help, so he mentioned it to Director Wang. He neither gave any gifts nor played the emotional card, but he felt that this position was almost certain for him.
The situation has been getting better. The children write two letters every month, and the letters talk about trivial matters. From those trivial matters, he can imagine the current life of Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu, which is a little troubled but extremely comfortable.
That's good.
Every time Chu Liqiang received a letter, he would read it with a smile on his face. But this time, after putting the letter away, he thought for a while and took out a new envelope, but it was not addressed to Chu Shao and the others.
His situation here has stabilized, maybe he should contact other family members.
At the beginning, he was secretly competing with others, which sowed the seeds of conflict. So when he saw that the situation was not right, he immediately asked Zhang Fengjuan to take Chu Shao away. And his guess was correct. As soon as he got the chance, the other party would try his best to suppress him. Therefore, in the entire Chu family, he was the first person to suffer.
At that time, his wife and children were gone, and he was sent to prison for a while. He had no idea what was happening outside or what the Chu family was like. But looking at his own situation, he knew that they must be having a hard time too.
After arriving at the army, Chu Liqiang learned from his old superior that his father had been demoted to a poor area and had been stripped of his position as commander, but it was not yet the worst possible situation. He was now the director of a garment factory, working with the workers. Although he did not live as comfortably as before, at least he could still make ends meet.
As for the rest of his family, they were all still in the capital. The old leader didn't know much about them, only that they were fine. Compared to other families, their Chu family was relatively lucky.
His father was in such a faraway place, Chu Liqiang didn't know his exact address and had no way of contacting him, but he could try to contact his family members in the capital.
Speaking of his family members, Chu Liqiang had complicated feelings towards them. It was not that he missed them that much, but Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu were still in the countryside of Qingzhu Village. They even had to study secretly in the cowshed. Although Chu Liqiang thought that it was good for them to be safe and sound like this, if there really was a chance for them to return to the capital, Chu Liqiang still hoped that he could let them go back as soon as possible.
He contacted his family there for this very reason. However, he did not say this in the letter right away. Instead, he wrote a letter first to test their opinion.
Chu Liqiang's father was Chu Xinghua. He married two women in his life and had three sons. The eldest son was Chu Liqiang, and the second and third sons were born to his second wife. The second son, Chu Lijun, went abroad in his early years and never came back. It is understandable that he did not dare to come back, so Chu Liqiang never thought of contacting him. The person he wrote to was the third son, Chu Lidi.
Chu Liqiang was not close to the third brother, but there was nothing he could do now. After all, the third brother was his younger brother. If he said a few good words to him, maybe he could help him.
Chu Liqiang wrote a greeting letter and put it in the mailbox. He estimated the distance from his place to the capital and thought that the reply should come in a month at the latest. In fact, the letter arrived earlier than Chu Liqiang estimated.
Only ten days later, the letter arrived in the capital. The postman delivered the letter to the mailboxes downstairs of each house. The Chu family, which used to be so big, now had its house taken away and could only live in a tube-shaped building. The family of five squeezed into two small rooms. Their life was originally a mess, but since July, when Chu Lidi's eldest daughter fell and was ill for several days, his family's life inexplicably became prosperous.
Chu Lidi's eldest daughter is called Chu Yue. Today is a holiday. She came back from school early and saw the postman put a letter into her mailbox. She was curious, so she secretly ran to her grandmother's room, took the key to the mailbox, and went downstairs. She opened the mailbox, reached the envelope inside with her little hand, took it out and looked at it. Chu Yue silently repeated the sender's name in her heart.
Chu Liqiang.
This person... seems to be her uncle?
Let her think about it. She has never had any impression of this uncle. Didn’t he die very early? He died in the Southwest Army. By the way, this letter also came from the Southwest Army. It seems that he is still alive at this time.
Chu Yue frowned, looked around, and found that there was no one around. She simply opened the letter and read it herself.
Chu Yue is now younger than Chu Jiujiu. She is only 8 years old, but she can read a letter without any pressure. She found that it was full of greetings and nothing important. Chu Yue put the letter down and recalled it carefully again, and found that this uncle was really useless.
He died early, and when he died he was only a company-level cadre. He had nothing in his hands. What she remembered most clearly was that her grandmother received Chu Liqiang's belongings sent by the army and found that there were only a few dollars in it. Her grandmother immediately cursed him as a poor bastard.
Chu Yue couldn't help but feel contempt. Even if this kind of person wrote a letter, he was just asking for money. This time was different from before. She wanted to lead her family to prosperity, and she didn't want this kind of person to take advantage of her family.
Thinking of this, Chu Yue tore the letter into several pieces and threw it into the garbage heap downstairs.
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