Ji Xia and Chen Jing looked at their mother suspiciously: "Mom, what are you doing? Whose face are you slapping?"
Ji Zhijun, teasing his son with a small piece of watermelon, scoffed upon hearing this, "Who else? Aren't they just those women from the brigade?"
"Lin Haodong's mother gossiped in the brigade, saying that it's not so easy to get into university. For two years in a row, only a few people in the whole commune have passed the exam. If a woman like you can pass the exam, she'll cut off her head and kick you in the head."
When Lin Haodong's mother was mentioned, Ji Xia curled her lips in disdain.
This old woman, she had almost forgotten about the mother and son's existence, but she crawled out again to make her presence known.
He sneered, "She might dare cut off my head, but I wouldn't dare kick her. Can't you at least brag a little? If you pass the exam, send me two chickens and I promise I'll do it."
Upon hearing this, Chen Jing couldn't help but laugh: "Does she have two chickens?"
Why are these people bringing her up?
Secretary Ji snorted coldly, wiped his hands with a damp towel, and took the chopsticks handed to him by his mother: "Let's eat, stop talking about these unpleasant things."
Ji's mother moved her lips, but still kept them closed in frustration. She set out the bowls and chopsticks one by one, and then placed the twins' high chairs between herself and Ji Zhijun.
The weather is hot and I have a poor appetite, but today's cold noodles and cold watermelon rind salad are quite to my liking.
After everyone tasted it, they couldn't help but nod in approval.
Watermelon rind is crisp and refreshing, and the cold noodles with vinegar have a slightly sour taste, making them extremely refreshing.
In the hot summer when appetites are low, eating this can whet the appetites of several people.
"How come I didn't know my little sister could do this?"
As Ji Xiangjun spoke, he glanced at Chen Jing with a malicious look and said, "Ah Jing is so lucky. Not only is her younger sister good at studying and designing, but she can also cook so well."
After Ji Xiangjun finished speaking, Secretary Ji gave him a cold look, which made Chen Jing's scalp tingle.
Ji Xia chuckled inwardly, but still explained with a sly smile: "Brother, you know nothing about your sister's intelligence. I made these cold noodles according to the recipe. Although it was my first time, I learned it in no time."
"Is this your first time?"
"What recipe? Where did you get this recipe?"
The Ji family looked surprised. Ji Xia proudly raised her chin: "Of course, I spent more than a month in the capital, spending every day in the library, from opening in the morning to closing in the evening. I read countless books..."
"Little sister, the library has recipes?" Ji Zhijun interrupted her, looking surprised.
Chen Jing interjected, "Brother, you don't know how big the libraries in Beijing are. The library she frequents is the one in Chaoyang District. That library is at least several acres in size, with hundreds of bookshelves filled with books. I've read the introduction; I estimate it has at least several hundred thousand books, all kinds of books..."
When the group heard that a library was over ten acres in size and filled with books, their eyes widened in astonishment.
A large plate of cold noodles and vegetables, along with bone broth, were all eaten up.
Not only did they finish the meal, but they were still not satisfied: "Let's make some cold noodles again tonight, little sister. What other good dishes do you have? Just bring them on."
Secretary Ji smiled and said, "Although it's not exactly highbrow, it's quite appetizing in the summer."
"Second brother knows how to order food," Ji Xia pouted and complained.
After lunch, Ji Xia cleared away the dishes and sat down next to her father and brother.
After the men had eaten and drunk their fill, they wiped the grease from their mouths and sat down in the shade of a tree to cool off, chatting about this year's national policies.
Ji's mother then served some winter melon and minced meat in a small bowl and sat down to feed the two children.
"Ah Jing, you've traveled to quite a few places, even the capital. What do you think of the changes now?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Jing simply chuckled and said, "It's definitely very different from a few years ago."
"The policy has definitely been relaxed. As you have seen, there is no problem with doing business. I set up a stall in Beijing with a few of my underlings, and the police officers were watching but did nothing."
The brigade isn't afraid of raising chickens and ducks anymore. The other night, Xia and I even went to a small farmhouse restaurant for dinner... They raise dozens of chickens, ducks, and geese, and they cook for guests whenever they come...
"Now, when you drive a big truck across provinces and cities, there are countless small restaurants along the way. You can eat whenever you want, and it doesn't matter if you don't have a ticket. You can find a restaurant anywhere."
Chen Jing and Ji Xiangjun talked about their recent experiences. Secretary Ji didn't say a word, but Ji Zhijun couldn't help but glance at his father.
Ji Xia glanced at her father and said, "Actually, I think dividing the land is a good thing. The land belongs to the public, so it's not as important as our own. Father can also worry less about it."
The redistribution of land is an inevitable trend. Even if the leaders suppress it this year, the national policy will come out next year and all the production brigades will be redistributed.
Of course, once the land is divided and the produce belongs to individuals, the enthusiasm of the commune members will definitely increase, but the power of the brigade leader and the branch secretary will naturally decrease significantly.
However, Ji Xia felt this was a good thing, as her parents were getting older and would eventually have to retire.
For a country to develop, land redistribution and economic growth are imperative. How can a small amount of power prevent the overall trend from taking hold?
Moreover, she hopes that the Ji family members can all go out and not be bound by this land.
Secretary Ji could also hear the worries of his children, and smiled faintly: "Power or not, I'm getting old, it'll save me some trouble if we separate."
"It's good that Dad can think things through. He's getting on in years, and it's nice to enjoy his grandchildren. The two kids will be grown up soon too."
Ji Xia offered some words of comfort, then turned to Ji Zhijun: "Brother, do you plan to stay in the countryside and farm after you've been allocated the land?"
Of the three siblings in the Ji family, Ji Xiangjun and Ji Xia have both gone out to develop their careers, leaving only their eldest brother to farm in the countryside. The gap between them will definitely widen in the future.
Although life will be better after the land is distributed, farming will not lead to a future, and the gap between the rich and poor in the city will only widen.
Unless it's mechanized farming, or people with the capital to contract hundreds or thousands of acres or fishponds on hilltops for planting and aquaculture.
Ji Xiangjun understood what Ji Xia meant: "Big brother, what are you thinking? Have you ever thought about going out and trying your luck?"
Ji Zhijun scratched his head, and after a while, he grinned and said in a simple and honest way, "It's still far from certain, I haven't thought that far ahead yet."
"Take your time to think about it, or you can discuss it with your sister-in-law. If you want to go out and explore, you can tell me."
Ji Zhijun patted his brother on the shoulder: "Don't worry, second brother, I will."
In the afternoon, Secretary Ji took his two sons to the fields, while Ji Xia accompanied his mother and the two children.
Ji Xia teased her little nephew while holding a bell, and whispered, "Mom, what's wrong with Lin Haodong's mother? Tell me about it."
Ji's mother rolled her eyes at her: "What else is there to say? Her son has seduced another woman in the city, and now he's acting all high and mighty again."
Upon hearing this, Ji Xia raised an eyebrow: "You've seduced another one? This man is born to be a gigolo. Can't he rely on his own abilities and achieve something?"
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