Chapter 139: The Iceberg Collided with the Volcano
She actually found cucumber seeds among a pile of seeds wrapped in old newspapers, and then she picked up a small bamboo basket from behind the door and went to the front yard.
Xu Nian was originally sitting in the pergola waiting for her, and when he saw her coming, they went to the backyard together.
Gu Qingqing's tools are quite complete, with axes, hoes, and sharpeners hanging on the corners. She has everything she needs.
"Did you borrow all this from the Quartermaster Department?" Xu Nian couldn't help but be amazed when he saw it.
"I asked the captain to bring it. I can't always go to the quartermaster's office to borrow it. It's embarrassing." Gu Qingqing took a hoe and opened the vegetable garden fence door. She blushed and said, "Last time Ah Sui borrowed a hoe, and after using it for ten days, the iron was worn thin and the hoe was loose. Later, I asked the captain to bring three new ones and replaced it with another one."
"You guys are so honest," Xu Nian followed her into the vegetable garden, "There are many military wives who grow vegetables on the island, and many of them borrow hoes, but they treat them as their own and never return them. Even if someone returns them, they have used them until they can no longer use them."
Gu Qingqing rubbed her head in a naive manner, "Isn't it that I just can't get over this hurdle in my heart? My parents have always told me not to take advantage of others since I was a child."
Xu Nian also smiled. She held onto the fence and watched Gu Qingqing loosen the soil. "You are all real people living in the same house. Why are you planting your cucumbers next to the fence?"
"Yes, but it's convenient to entangle the vines. I can just go to the mountain and cut two bamboos to tie the vines. But I don't know when I can eat it."
"Take it slow." Xu Nian touched her belly, her eyes softly saying, "Anyway, my baby is coming out so I should be able to eat the smacked cucumber."
"Sister Anian, how long will it take for you to give birth to a baby?"
"It's more than seven months now, and there are still two or three months to go." Just as Xu Nian finished speaking, the baby in her belly suddenly moved and hit her palm.
Her eyes widened and she said in surprise, "Qingqing, the baby kicked me again!"
Gu Qingqing cried out, put down the hoe and walked over, brushed the dirt off her hands, rubbed them on her clothes and touched her belly: "Let me see, let me see."
Xu Nian was a little nervous about her actions, and said with a smile: "You will be able to feel it in a few months, but it should be bigger than mine, after all, you have two."
"Sister Anian, at how many months did your baby start kicking you?" Gu Qingqing placed her hand on her belly and slowly waited for the baby to move.
"About five months." Seeing her cautious attitude, Xu Nian's lips softened. "Actually, he's very well behaved and rarely kicks me. He only started to have severe morning sickness a few months into the pregnancy and can't stand the smell of oil."
Gu Qingqing listened to her quietly. After a minute, she looked up in surprise and said in disbelief, "Sister Anian! He kicked me!"
Xu Nian smiled and nodded.
Gu Qingqing reluctantly withdrew her hand, picked up the hoe again to loosen the soil, and then sowed the seeds.
After doing all this, she squatted down to pick peppers, picking both red and green ones. Xu Nian looked at them for a long time and said, "Qingqing, shall we have pounded peppers for lunch?"
"Great!" Gu Qingqing was also tempted, "It's a pity that there is no preserved eggs. In the past, my family would ask the grandmother at the village to help make preserved eggs for the New Year. My third uncle would mash the preserved eggs with chili peppers and it was especially delicious with rice!"
"I don't know how to make this either," Xu Nian shook her head. "We rarely eat preserved eggs. In the past, it was a great blessing to have eggs in the village. We couldn't eat them every day, especially after I married into your brother Zhao's family. The old lady was like a thief, and she would secretly save the eggs for her eldest grandson."
Gu Qingqing was dumbfounded: "Why is it still like this?" After saying that, she picked another red pepper and threw it into the bamboo basket.
"The old lady has many tricks. She gets home from work before me every day. The first thing she does is to take out the eggs from the chicken coop. She never lets me touch the stove, for fear that I will cook their delicious food." Xu Nian hated the old lady at that time, but now it's nothing: "Every family has its own problems. Even though Bai Tao's family has a troublesome sister-in-law, our family is not much better."
She slowed down her voice and said, "Some time ago, your brother Zhao suddenly mentioned that he wanted the old lady to come and take care of me during my confinement."
Gu Qingqing's hand that was picking peppers stopped in mid-air, her almond-shaped eyes slightly startled: "Didn't I say I would take care of you when the time comes? Why is he bringing this up again?"
"I don't know if the old lady sent a telegram. She may know that I don't like her family now, so she didn't tell me or show it to me." Xu Nian said nonchalantly: "The political review for going to the island is very strict. It will be delayed for two or three months. If I give in now, the old lady will be stuck in giving birth and come up."
"Then you have to keep calm and not open this door." Gu Qingqing said without hesitation: "Anyway, seeing that there is a troublemaker in Sister Taozi's house, I am very annoyed by these in-laws who like to suppress their daughters-in-law. Look at these sisters-in-law on the island, whose mother-in-law came up?"
"Who said it wasn't? That's why I envy you. You have a quiet life, your family loves you, and your man is even more so." Xu Nian suddenly felt a little melancholy. "Luckily, I have you on the island to help me, otherwise there would be endless quarrels again."
Zhao Ze has been much better to her since she became pregnant. She felt that he just ignored her before.
I just hope this peaceful time can last a few more years.
It would take at least five, six, seven or eight years on the island. She didn't believe that she couldn't survive the old lady.
Gu Qingqing chatted with her for a long time. Xu Nian pulled her up and saw her pounding her numb legs. He said, "Don't squat for so long in the future."
"I know!" Gu Qingqing let the hoe stand by the fence, holding the vegetable basket in one hand and holding Xu Nian's arm with the other, and walked out: "I'll make you a dish of pickled cabbage fried with minced meat and pounded peppers for lunch. I have to cook some seafood too, men like it. Last time I made spicy crabs, this time I'll make spicy shrimps?"
"Okay, okay, I'm fine as long as I have food." Xu Nian closed the fence door casually, "Why don't you grow some long beans? Sour beans are also very delicious."
"It was planted a long time ago, but the seedlings haven't sprouted yet." Gu Qingqing led her to the kitchen.
Xu Nian found a chair to sit down and looked up at her: "Isn't it a little early to cook now?"
Gu Qingqing raised her hand and looked at it: "It's half past nine. I'll take my time. They will be back around twelve o'clock."
As she spoke, she began to cut peppers. The spicy smell filled the kitchen. She snorted twice and quickly opened the window to get some fresh air.
Xu Nian also pinched his nose and said in a distressed tone: "The peppers you grow are tastier and spicier than those grown elsewhere."
Gu Qingqing asked tentatively: "I soaked some sour ginger. How about trying to stir-fry a dish with sour ginger and chili peppers?"
"Okay." Xu Nian readily agreed.
Just after twelve o'clock, Shen Suixian pushed open the gate and came back.
"Sister." The boy's voice was childish, not loud but not small either. Gu Qingqing and Xu Nian both heard it in the kitchen.
"Ah Sui is back?" Gu Qingqing poked her head out of the kitchen holding a spatula. "You can play with it first. There's also a steamed crab. Let's eat right away."
Seeing Xu Nian was there too, Shen Sui nodded, went to the living room table to pour a glass of water, and then went upstairs carrying his cross-body bag.
"Your Shen Sui is a very well behaved child, but he is a little bit withdrawn."
Gu Qingqing scooped up the pickled cabbage and minced meat, looked at the steamed crabs, and bent over to take a large bowl: "Yes, this child doesn't like to join in the fun. Chu Dai and I have discussed this several times. Originally, we wanted to let him play with my little nephew."
Xu Nian chuckled, "That's really like an iceberg hitting a volcano."
"Of course, Chu Dai said he's used to being alone, so let him be alone. We don't want to force him." Gu Qingqing took a piece of chive pancake from the plate and gave it to her: "You should eat first. Those two men are dawdling, so it will probably take a while."
Just as he finished speaking, two men came in at the same time. Xu Nian took the chive pancake and stood up slowly: "It seems that we really can't talk about people behind their backs."
"What did you say about us?" Zhao Ze heard the noise and walked to the kitchen door and leaned against the door frame: "Old Chu, your wife's cooking skills are getting better and better. I could smell it before she even came to my door, and I guessed that my Ah Nian was here."
Chu Dai placed the wild fruit wrapped in tree leaves on a chair in the corner of the living room, went back to his room, and then came out to pour a glass of water.
"Jealous? There's no use being jealous." His voice was casual. Although he patted off some of the dust on his body with a towel before entering the yard, there was still some wind-dried mud and sand on his army green shirt.
Xu Nian pushed Zhao Ze aside to make it easier for Gu Qingqing to take the dishes out, then glanced at the man: "Don't just stand there like an idiot, help get the dishes and chopsticks."
"Okay."
"A Sui, come down to eat." Gu Qingqing looked up and called out from the stairs.
"I'm coming, sister." Shen Sui responded, and the sound of steady footsteps gradually approached.
Seeing that the food was on the table, Gu Qingqing sat down with peace of mind.
Chu Dai served her some rice: "Are you tired? If you are, I will bring food directly from the cafeteria next time."
Gu Qingqing shook her head. "I just cook every day to kill time. It's not tiring."
The man felt a little guilty after hearing what she said. "My second brother sent a telegram saying that he would apply to visit relatives on the island when he has a vacation."
Gu Qinglie was originally a member of the army with a clean family background. In addition, he had a brother who was a pilot, and his family connections had long been thoroughly investigated by the higher-ups. As long as he had leave, he could go to the island at any time, and the review procedures would be passed quickly.
Gu Qingqing's eyes lit up: "Really? He just took a vacation for the New Year, I'm afraid it's difficult to hire him."
"There is a mission. After completing it, you can take a break for half a year." Chu Dai did not explain in detail. This mission was very dangerous, and after completing it, you cannot show up in the next combat within half a year. This is related to the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
There was no joy in Gu Qingqing's eyes now, only worry.
What kind of mission can allow you to take a half-year break? It must be life-threatening.
Chu Dai comforted her gently: "It's okay, he knows what's going on, trust him."
Gu Qingqing nodded, but her brows were still furrowed for a long time.
Zhao Ze quickly spoke up when he saw this: "Did something happen to Bai Tao's family? She went to the clinic this morning and found a female military doctor."
"Hmm?" Gu Qingqing was indeed attracted: "Could it be that the sister-in-law in their family is causing trouble again? Is Sister Taozi okay?"
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