Feng Mingshu laughed and said, "About the same as you."
The tension in Yan Jiayi's eyes vanished instantly, and she smiled as she took Mingshu's arm: "Mingshu, my family sent me some coffee. Let's go to my place for coffee. I have a set of special coffee cups."
Feng Mingshu waved her hand: "Thank you for your kindness, but I can't drink coffee. If I drink it, I can't sleep all night."
"Really?" Yan Jiayi's eyes revealed suspicion and inquiry. "You've drunk it before?"
Feng Mingshu didn't want to talk about her past life, and only smiled and said, "I used to drink with friends."
“Your friend has good taste.” Yan Jiayi blurted out, then covered her mouth and said apologetically, “Ming Shu, I didn’t mean anything by it, I’m just not very good at talking.”
Feng Mingshu smiled and said, "I know, my friend does have good taste."
“If we happen to run into your friend sometime, let’s have tea together,” Yan Jiayi added.
Feng Mingshu smiled and agreed. After exchanging a few more polite words, both men returned, and Yan Jiayi took her husband's arm and went back to the next house.
"What did you two talk about that made you so happy?" Zhou Jinshan asked casually, looking at the smile on his wife's face.
"Let's talk about coffee. Do you like coffee?" Feng Mingshu asked with a smile as she fetched water for Zhou Jinshan to wash his hands.
Zhou Jinshan immediately recalled the beginning of the year when his mother-in-law had not yet left Bincheng. One evening, she brewed coffee for him, and after just one sip, he found it so bitter it reached his throat. If it weren't for his mother-in-law's presence, he would have spat it out.
Even now, the thought of it makes his tongue taste slightly bitter. Zhou Jinshan shook his head with a wry smile: "I don't like drinking that stuff. Do you like it? I'll ask around and see where I can buy it."
“No,” Feng Mingshu waved his hand with a smile, “I can’t drink coffee. I can’t sleep well if I drink it. We still have a few cans of coffee left in the cupboard at our home in Bincheng.”
I just wonder if those cans of coffee will still be there when they get back.
If she had known this would happen, she should have mailed it to her mother.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Northeast China, Yu Jingqiu received a telegram from her daughter and son-in-law. The telegram included the young couple's new address and the date the package would be mailed.
Knowing the package would arrive soon, she decided to take the twins with her to the commune.
Li Yanzhong hitched up a horse-drawn carriage to take them there, and also put some mountain produce on the carriage.
Li Dashan took out a few grain coupons and handed them to him: "Yanzhong, when you get to the commune, take your younger siblings and children out to eat something hot. Don't eat anything cold and hurt your stomach."
Li Yanzhong hurriedly declined, saying, "Brother, I have some."
“What you have is yours, and what I give you is ours. No matter who goes to the commune, if they have ration coupons, they get coupons; if they don’t, they get money. They have to make sure they have enough to eat so they don’t get sick,” Li Dashan said earnestly.
These days, most people always think that they should save as much as possible and have more savings, because who knows, it might save their lives.
But the Li family was different. They went into the mountains to hunt all year round and were not short of food. Moreover, they knew very well that if they were physically weak, they would be easy prey if they encountered a wild beast. Therefore, maintaining good physical health was a basic quality of hunters.
This quality has been passed down to the whole family, including the children who eat very well.
Only two or three months after arriving at their new home, the twins felt they had gained weight, but when they compared themselves to their uncle's chubby son, they realized they were still quite thin, so they ate meat without worry every day.
The Li family was both satisfied and delighted to see the twins, who had gained weight. They were indeed their Li family children, and their joy was palpable.
A group of happy children climbed onto the horse-drawn carriage and went to the commune with their fourth uncle and aunt.
"You bunch of brats, when you get to the commune you'd better listen to your fourth uncle and aunt, or I'll spank you until your bottoms are raw when you get back," Sister-in-law Li threatened, raising her hand.
A group of children all shrank back and agreed in unison.
But once outside the village, the children reverted to their true nature, howling loudly at the mountains and forests, or picking up slingshots to shoot mice in the fields.
As April arrives, the snow on the fields and treetops melts, green grass sprouts quietly, and mice become lively, thus becoming prey in the eyes of children.
Li Mingyu looked at the slingshot with envy, but didn't ask for it.
When Li Dapang saw this, he handed him the slingshot: "Give it a try."
Indeed, the Li family's children have very unique names. Regardless of gender, each child has the character "fat" in their name, from "Big Fat" to "Nine Fats." Only the twins escaped this curse.
Of course, this is just a nickname; they will be given a formal name when they start school.
"Thank you, big cousin!"
Li Mingyu thanked him happily, then imitated Li Dapang's actions, pulled up his slingshot, squinted one eye, aimed at a black rat foraging in the field, and released the pebble, which flew out with a whoosh.
The black rat noticed and scurried away with a squeak, causing the pebble to miss its target.
Li Dapang raised his hand and chuckled as he rubbed Li Mingyu's head: "Xiaoyu, you're still too thin. You don't have much strength in your hands, otherwise that mouse wouldn't have been able to escape."
Li Mingyu was a little frustrated and a little unconvinced: "I've eaten a lot, but I haven't grown up yet. When I grow up, I'm sure I won't be any worse than my older cousin."
Li Mingxue made a face at him: "Why are you comparing yourself to your older cousin? Compare yourself to your brother-in-law!"
“Yes, I’ll compare myself to my brother-in-law!” Li Mingyu immediately changed his target, his eyes sparkling. He decided that he should eat more in the future and grow as tall as his brother-in-law.
Li Jiajiu Pang immediately became curious about his brother-in-law: "Xiaoyu, Xiaoxue, what does your brother-in-law do?"
Adults don't tell children about their affairs, so Li Jiajiu Pang thought the eldest sister the twins were talking about was their cousin, and even called her brother-in-law affectionately.
Li Mingyu proudly puffed out his chest: "My brother-in-law is a soldier!"
"My brother-in-law isn't a soldier, he's a military officer!" Li Mingxue corrected.
Li Jiajiu immediately exclaimed, and the boys surrounded the twins, asking, "Xiaoyu and Xiaoxue, can we find our officer brother-in-law to join the army?"
Li Mingyu said reservedly, "I don't know, I have to ask my brother-in-law."
"Then hurry up and ask!" the children urged.
“It won’t be quick. If we write a letter, it will take my sister and brother-in-law about ten days to receive it.”
The children chattered away, and Yu Jingqiu, sitting in the front, couldn't help but smile.
Seeing the smile on her lips, Li Yanzhong couldn't help but quietly squeeze her hand: "Jingqiu, are you still cold?"
Yu Jingqiu shook her head and smiled, "It's not cold, it's already spring."
Her hands were indeed not cold. Li Yanzhong withdrew his hand with some regret, waved his whip in the open space in front of him and said, "After spring, the brigade will be busy. The brigade leader is our cousin. I have already spoken to him and we have agreed that you will be the team's accountant. You will basically not have to do any farm work."
Yu Jingqiu was somewhat surprised: "The team's accountant is considered a cadre, so how did this position end up with me?"
"Because the old accountant has retired, and you used to be the accountant at the city's department store, everyone trusts you," Li Yanzhong said with a smile.
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