However, what surprised Liu Meiyu the most was that during the days when Lu Changzheng was away from home, the person who was least adapted was Liu Bowen.
Although the boy is quiet and silent, he would look around the house for someone as soon as he opened his eyes every day, which made his elder sister Liu Meiyu a little jealous.
But even though she was jealous, seeing the little guy looking depressed, she still tried to find ways to make him happy every day.
"Bo Wen, let's play with making paper airplanes."
The boy was listless at first, but when he saw Liu Meiyun folding a piece of letter paper into something that could fly like a bird, his eyes instantly lit up.
"Do you want to learn?" Liu Meiyu threw the paper plane out. It spun in the air and flew to the gate, hitting the door frame before falling to the ground.
The boy expressed his thoughts with practical actions. He followed the paper plane with his eyes, jumped off the ground with his short legs, ran to the door, picked it up, and imitated Liu Meiyu's actions to throw the paper plane out.
Unfortunately, the paper plane didn't obey his commands and fell to the ground.
Liu Meiyu just watched from the side and did not offer any help.
Sure enough, the boy picked up the paper airplane in disappointment and ran to Liu Meiyu, shaking her arm.
Liu Meiyu remained silent.
"Sister! Fly!" Liu Bowen was anxious while holding the paper airplane, and uttered two words dryly.
Liu Meiyu finally reacted. She grabbed his little short hand and taught him how to fly. After two attempts, the little guy mastered the tricks and had a lot of fun playing by himself.
Later on, there were paper boats, paper cranes, and puppies. Liu Meiyu used everything she had learned in the orphanage to coax Liu Bowen, but the kid was only interested in paper airplanes. He learned how to stack them, and as for the other things, he just took a look and threw them away.
Liu Meiyu didn't force it, thinking that there was a long way to go, and one day, this little guy would beg her to teach him.
Liu Bowen, who had been playing with paper airplanes for an entire afternoon and was still not tired of it, suddenly saw a figure at the gate of the courtyard, and the paper airplane landed next to the figure.
He looked up and his eyes immediately lit up.
“Brother-in-law!”
Lu Changzheng thought he was hallucinating. He had been gone for almost half a month, so this ungrateful person should have forgotten about him when he came back? So why did he finally call for help?
Before he could react, the ungrateful man rushed towards him like a cannonball. He picked him up out of habit, patted his butt, and asked in confusion, "Did you call the wrong person?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Liu Meiyu walking to the door and rolling her eyes at him.
"Lu Changzheng, what are you talking about?"
Liu Meiyu walked over and saw that Lu Changzheng's military uniform was covered in mud. He looked like he had been in a coal kiln. The mud almost blurred his eyes. It was rare that Liu Bowen had good eyesight as he could recognize him at a glance.
"Go in and wash up first. I just heated up some hot water in the pot for Bowen to use for a bath."
Liu Meiyu knew that Lu Changzheng would probably be back in the next two days, but she was not sure about the exact time, so she happened to be there to give Liu Bowen a bath.
There was some pork bought yesterday at home, and they were thinking of stewing it with potatoes. But Lu Changzheng just held Liu Bowen and didn't move. He just leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Rub my back for me."
Liu Meiyun "..."
Well, she has seen the world, and there is nothing to be shy about when rubbing her man's back.
There was a big bath tub. Lu Changzheng took off all his clothes and got in. He soaked for a while before Liu Meiyu came in with a bath towel.
"Where is Liu Bowen?" Lu Changzheng asked.
"He's rolling around on the kang." Liu Meiyu rolled up her sleeves and walked over. She pretended to be calm as she went around the man's back, wet the bath towel and started working.
Thanks to her full lunch, the man had broad shoulders and thick skin, so it took a lot of effort for him to rub her.
As she rubbed, Liu Meiyu felt something was wrong with the man.
The muscles in my back suddenly stiffened. I could still chat with myself just now, but now I was silent for a long time.
"Is the water cold?" Liu Meiyu leaned over to ask. After all, she felt that she had been rubbing for a long time and her elbows were starting to feel sore.
"Not cool." Lu Changzheng's throat was dry and his breathing became heavier. His actions were faster than his brain and he grabbed the woman's slender wrist.
Liu Meiyu glanced over and understood everything at a single glance.
Lu Changzheng had no shame at all and just let her see it openly. After all, they were a legal couple and they would have to be honest with each other sooner or later. It was just that the waiting process was a bit difficult.
"Okay, wash it yourself, I'll go cook." In order to prevent the man from suffering, Liu Meiyu chose to retreat tactically.
Dinner was stewed potatoes with meat. Liu Meiyun likes to eat mashed potato soup with rice, so the potatoes and meat were stewed until they were mushy. Liu Bowen felt hungry after waking up from a nap, so he ate a big bowl of it.
Even if the brother and sister ate as much as they could, it would not be enough to eat for half of the Long March. Liu Meiyun knew that his training was hard, so she made more food for him.
Lu Changzheng really did not disappoint her. He almost took care of everything by himself and even cleaned the bottom of the pot thoroughly.
After dinner, Lu Changzheng went to wash the dishes while Liu Meiyu cleaned the kang.
During the day, the kang is Liu Bowen's territory. He likes to roll around on it barefoot. Liu Meiyu lets him do it, as he won't freeze and can exercise at the same time. But she really doesn't understand this kid. How can he be so dedicated? He can play with his favorite paper airplanes for days on end and the same goes for rolling. Ever since they moved to the island and started sleeping on the kang, this kid has been restless almost every day and won't go to bed until he is tired.
That day, after Lu Changzheng washed up and packed up, he played crazy with his brother-in-law on the bed. When Liu Bowen felt sleepy, he started to trick his brother-in-law into crawling to the next room to sleep.
But Liu Bowen wouldn't fall for it. No matter how Lu Changzheng coaxed him, he would only fall asleep by hugging his sister!
The method of taking the person away after he falls asleep doesn't work either. Lu tried it once not long before the Long March, but there was something wrong with this kid. He was like a military dog, with a very strong ability to stay alert. As soon as he put the person down, he started crying and it took a long time to comfort him.
"Okay, it's getting late, go to bed. Ask the troops tomorrow if we can keep a dog here, and bring him a puppy to coax him."
During the time when Lu Changzheng was not at home for training, Liu Meiyu took Liu Bowen to sleep on the kang in the next room. She also did a lot of ideological work, and the little guy was actually no longer so averse. One day, in order to eat two more White Rabbit milk candies, he slept alone for half the night. When he woke up in the middle of the night and didn't see her, he cried for a while.
"Really?" Lu Changzheng seemed to have suddenly seen the light.
"Fake!" Liu Meiyu threw a pillow at him.
Lu Changzheng just laughed, lying on the kang with Liu Meiyu in his arms, hoping that the day would brighten soon.
The next morning, when Liu Meiyu woke up, she was the only one left on the kang.
Lu Changzheng had an unshakable biological clock, and Liu Bowen also woke up early. However, Liu Meiyu usually didn't get up, so he had no choice but to lie on the kang and stare blankly.
When she put on her cotton coat and left the room, she didn't see anyone in the main room. Liu Meiyu shouted twice but no one responded, so she guessed that Lu Changzheng had carried the person out.
She simply turned on the stove and thought about what to eat for lunch.
Since arriving on the island, she has been eating fine food every day, but she has not let her stomach down at all.
Every time I decide what to eat, I have to think for a long time.
Looking at the bag full of flour in the cupboard, Liu Meiyu suddenly wanted to eat potato shreds rolls. Coat them with egg liquid, put a thin layer of egg liquid in the frying pan, and then fry the potato shreds until they are sour and spicy, and then roll them up. Just thinking about it made her appetite come up.
Liu Meiyun was beating eggs in the kitchen when she heard some movement in the yard.
I washed my hands and went out to take a look.
Liu Bowen was walking slowly inside with a furry little thing in his arms. Lu Changzheng followed patiently behind him, holding up his military coat to shield the little guy from the cold wind.
"You're walking so slowly, aren't you afraid of freezing?" Liu Meiyu leaned against the door, watching with amusement as Lu Changzheng was afraid of freezing Liu Bowen, while Liu Bowen was protecting the dog.
"Comrade Liu Bowen is already a big boy and doesn't need anyone to hold him." Lu Changzheng said in a loud voice.
Liu Bowen, who was standing in front like a little old man, nodded his head, walked up to Liu Meiyun, and showed her the little thing hidden in his arms. His eyes curved into a crescent shape with a smile, "Sister, my dog!"
Liu Meiyu peeked in and saw that it was dark and ugly.
"This was adopted by a fellow villager. When I went there, this was the only one left and no one wanted it." Lu Changzheng smiled, but he did not miss the flash of disgust on Liu Meiyu's face.
"Then find some dry grass and two wooden boards and make a nest first."
No matter how ugly it is, Liu Bowen can't help but like it. From the moment he entered the room, all he could see was the bastard, and he couldn't even see his own sister.
Lu Changzheng responded happily. He had already found some dry grass and wooden boards from his fellow villagers' homes. After dinner, he started building a nest for the dog.
It's so cold today, the nest must not be built outside. It can only be placed in the main room near the fire wall to avoid freezing.
Liu Bowen was even planning to build a doghouse in the room where he slept, but was rejected by Liu Meiyu.
Lu Changzheng had a smile on his face. When he was working as a keeper, he was very diligent and hardworking.
The conditions were negotiated with his brother-in-law. He could take the puppy home to raise it, but he had to live in a separate room. Liu Bowen was struggling with this for a long time. After everyone left, he finally couldn't bear to let the puppy go, so he went back and took it away.
"It's okay. The doghouse cannot be built in the bedroom, but you can secretly bring the puppy to your room to sleep at night. Your sister sleeps next door and can't control you." Lu Changzheng coaxed and deceived the girl, and did not forget to add a double layer of protection for himself.
After hearing what Lu Changzheng said, the young man's eyes lit up. He secretly glanced at his sister, and then went to see his dog with a guilty conscience.
If he had known that a dog could make his brother-in-law so obedient, he should have brought one home earlier. Lu Changzheng was as happy as he was regretful.
Liu Meiyun had no idea what he was thinking. She deliberately made an extra plate of potato shreds rolls for lunch. After Lu Changzheng had built the doghouse, she said, "Let's go to Mrs. Wu's house later. We always said we would go to her house to thank her, but you were away on a mission for half a month, and it was not easy for me to go there with Bowen by myself."
"Good" Lu Changzheng had no objection.
During the time he returned to the army, he also met the deputy battalion commander of the Third Regiment, a man who looked gentle and capable but was not inferior in any way.
Originally, everything was packed and prepared. In addition to a plate of shredded potato rolls, Liu Meiyu also took the half bag of fruit candies that she didn't give away last time. However, Liu Bowen was so busy with the puppy he had just brought home that he refused to go out.
In the end, it was Liu Meiyu who half threatened and half coerced the puppy back into its den before she forcibly took Liu Bowen away, whose mouth was pouting so much that an oil can could be hung on it.
He was still arguing with her all the way, and he didn't stick behind her anymore, but walked ahead angrily.
If this had happened a few months ago, Liu Meiyu would never have seen Liu Bowen with such a childish temper. Seeing him being so petty, she would have felt quite happy. If Liu Yongnian and Zheng Huiru, a couple far away in Shanghai, had seen this, they would probably have been even happier.
When they arrived at the front yard, it was obviously much more lively than the area where they lived.
There was an open space downstairs, and most of the children of similar age from the family building were gathered together. From a distance, Liu Meiyu saw Jinbao, the youngest child in Mrs. Wu's family, was also there, playing snowballs with several other children.
As soon as she saw Liu Bowen, she started to scare her again and kept grabbing her clothes as soon as they got to a crowded place.
"Song Jinbao?"
Song Jinbao was kneading a snowball when he suddenly heard someone calling him. He thought it was his sister, but when he looked up, he found it was the beautiful aunt who always gave him snacks whenever they met.
"Aunt Meiyun!" Song Jinbao ran over happily, with a greedy look in his eyes, not concealed at all.
Liu Meiyu rubbed his head and smiled, "Are your parents home? Auntie wants to visit your house now, can you lead the way for Auntie?"
"Sure!" Song Jinbao liked this pretty aunt who spoke softly the most. Most importantly, she gave him food. When he heard that she was going to come to his house, Song Jinbao was extremely happy. He didn't even bother to look back and say goodbye to his friends, and was ready to run forward.
"Take your brother with you." Liu Meiyu grabbed the man's collar at the critical moment, and then pried open Liu Bowen's hand that was tightly holding her.
Song Jinbao didn't like playing with Liu Bowen at first. He disliked his silence and the fact that he couldn't say a word for a long time. But when he thought that Aunt Meiyun would definitely give him candy later, he grabbed Liu Bowen's reluctant hand with disgust and dragged him home.
To eat candy! You must follow him!
Two children of similar age, one being pulled in front while the other staggering behind, is as funny as it can be.
Wu Guifang's family lived on the third floor. There were four families living on the first floor, and their house was in the innermost one.
Liu Meiyun and Lu Changzheng climbed the stairs under the guidance of Song Jinbao. Before they reached the door, they heard Song Jinbao shouting at the top of his voice: "Mom! Mom!"
"I told you to stop making noise in the hallway!"
Wu Guifang opened the door and spoke in an impatient tone. Her loud voice left no doubt that they were mother and son.
"Hey, Meiyun, why are you and Captain Lu here?"
Seeing the person following her little son, Wu Guifang was surprised. She wiped her hands on her bib and greeted him enthusiastically, "Come in quickly!"
"Sister-in-law, don't be angry that I came without saying hello." Liu Meiyu and Lu Changzheng walked in and saw a house with two bedrooms and a living room. There was a bench and a square table in the living room, and a small area in the corner separated by a curtain with a single bed.
It's very narrow, and with two more people, it would be difficult to turn around.
"Look at what you said, why should I be angry!" Wu Guifang smiled brightly and asked the two girls to pour water for people.
"Is Deputy Captain Song not at home?" Liu Meiyu asked.
"Going to the toilet!"
The outhouses that Wu Guifang mentioned are public toilets. There is one on each floor of the building. There is also a public laundry room. They are cleaned by special people every week. This is much more convenient than Liu Meiyu's place.
"Why don't you close the door?"
Just as he finished speaking, there was a voice coming from the door, and a tall, thin, middle-aged man with a scholarly appearance pushed the door open and walked in. Seeing a guest in his house, he was surprised, and it took him a long time to realize that it was the captain of the army battalion who had just been transferred to their island.
Lu Changzheng was in the first battalion and he was in the third battalion. They did not usually train together, but they were always together in meetings and had met each other several times.
"Captain Lu, why are you here?" Song Quanwen sat over, rubbing his hands. Seeing the boiled water on the table, he frowned and said to Wu Guifang, "Why don't you make tea? Hurry up and take out the tea I put in the cabinet!"
Lu Changzheng said quickly: "Brother Song, Meiyun and I are not used to drinking tea, so don't let sister-in-law do it."
"Yes, Changzheng and I just arrived on the island. My sister-in-law has helped our family a lot, and she kept saying that she came to thank us. I just caught up with Changzheng on his mission and I'm free today. This is the cake I made at noon. My cooking skills are not very good, so don't mind. Here is also a bag of fruit candy for the children."
Wu Guifang's family of five were so surprised that they were speechless when they saw the gifts sent by Liu Meiyun.
The plate contained white flour rolled biscuits and fruit candies, which were from Shanghai. Last time, Liu Meiyu wanted to give Wu Guifang half a bag, but she refused. This time, the buyer was straightforward and gave her a whole bag.
"Oh, no, that won't do. What are you doing with all these things? Take them back quickly!" Wu Guifang didn't want them last time, and she couldn't do it this time. To her family, these were very valuable courtesies. If she accepted them, how would she return them in the future?
But Liu Meiyu was born with a sweet tongue, she just has a way of saying things that you can't refuse.
"Sister-in-law, please don't refuse me again. If you hadn't helped me clean the house, Changzheng and I wouldn't know what would happen on the first night. We will be together for a long time in the future. I just got married and I don't know anything. I will inevitably trouble you in the future. If you don't accept it, I will feel bad."
"I came here to ask my sister-in-law if she knows how to knit a sweater. I want her to teach me. If you're polite to me, Changzheng and I will leave now and ask someone else..."
When you finish talking, get up.
"Ouch!" Wu Guifang quickly slapped the man back.
She had been doing farm work since she was young, so naturally she was quite strong. Liu Meiyu only felt a slight numbness in her shoulders.
"Oh! Why are you leaving?" Wu Guifang was confused by what she said, as if she would be wrong if she didn't accept the things. Besides, the people came to her mainly to ask for her help, so she couldn't refuse.
"On the whole island, no one is as good as me at knitting. If you don't believe me, look at the vest my man is wearing. I knitted it for him last year." Wu Guifang's hands were quicker than her brain. Before she finished speaking, she ripped open the clothes of Deputy Battalion Commander Song who was sitting next to her and pulled out the gray woolen vest inside to show Liu Meiyu.
Deputy Captain Song was startled, but by the time he wanted to stop it, it was too late.
Women have always been quick to act. He has been talking about this bad habit for years, but she just can't change it!
"Enough, what a shame!" Deputy Battalion Commander Song, a big boss, was stripped of his clothes in front of a woman. He must be in a bad mood. He didn't look good to Wu Guifang, straightened his collar, and turned to talk to Lu Changzheng about the army's affairs.
The men had their own topics to talk about, and Liu Meiyun and Wu Guifang also had things to talk about.
"I see your brother, why is he so quiet?"
Wu Guifang sat next to Liu Meiyu and saw her youngest son Jinbao and Liu Meiyu's younger brother Liu Bowen on the other side of the curtain. The two were only a few months apart. If her sons didn't take care of themselves, they would have blown the roof off the house. Now they were using the quilt as a sandbag, boxing alone, and provoking Liu Bowen from time to time.
Let's look at Liu Bowen. His sister gave her a strict order that she cannot stick around when the adults are talking and must play with Song Jinbao.
But Liu Bowen didn't want to play with Song Jinbao. He just wanted to go home as soon as possible because his little Hei was still alone at home.
Liu Meiyu sighed, "Sister-in-law, I'm not going to hide it from you. I came here not only to ask you to teach me how to knit, but also to ask if you can take care of Bowen when your children are playing."
"What's wrong with that?" Wu Guifang felt that it was no big deal. Didn't the children on the island grow up running around in groups?
"When my brother was in Shanghai, he was often bullied by other kids. So now he is a bit depressed and doesn't like to talk. He doesn't like to go out and play with other kids. Even if I force him to go, I'm afraid that his personality won't be liked by other kids, and it will backfire and he will be even more timid."
"Don't worry, I'll let my eldest and second daughters come with me! Jinbao is a unreliable kid. My two girls, although they are usually very well-behaved, listen to me, and do housework well, but when they are back home, they can help me scold their aunt."
After Wu Guifang finished speaking, she was afraid that Liu Meiyun might misunderstand her, so she explained, "Their aunt is not a good person. She saw that my husband was away from home in the army, and I was not with the army with my child, so she wanted to bully me. Not only did she make me do all the dirty and tiring work, she also wanted to snatch the allowance my husband sent back!"
After listening to Wu Guifang's words, Liu Meiyu was quite surprised. Da Ya and Er Ya are twins. The two sisters don't look exactly the same, but it is difficult for outsiders to recognize them at a glance. After meeting them a few times, Liu Meiyu's impression was that they were sensible and obedient. At the age of only twelve or thirteen, they could help Wu Guifang with a lot of housework.
I didn't expect that he also has a fierce and protective side.
When talking about her two daughters, Wu Guifang's eyes were full of smiles. She was not like other families that favor boys over girls and treat their daughters like weeds.
"Don't be fooled by the fact that my two girls are well-behaved now. When they were in the countryside, they were also the leaders of the children. But after they joined the army, their father said that girls should not be so wild and should be quiet. Who would fight with others every other day? Their father restrained their temper!"
Although Wu Guifang was pleased that her two girls were becoming more and more sensible, for some reason she just felt unhappy.
"If you ask me, I still like the temperament of the two girls in the countryside. In the army, their father controls everything. He says that they have to learn from other girls in the compound and learn to read and read books every day. I don't like it, but their father is very strict and I can't do anything about it..."
This is a typical case of disagreement in parental education concepts.
Although Wu Guifang complained, Liu Meiyu could see the happiness that could not be concealed in the corners of her eyes and eyebrows.
As she was talking, Wu Guifang glanced at the two men and suddenly pulled Liu Meiyun, looking at her with concern: "Have you had sex this month?"
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