"Of course, he's not as quick as your brother in reacting." The two of them sang in unison.
Gu Qingqing was sitting on the earthen kang, and she managed to pull out a handful of fried pumpkin seeds from the small table. She stretched out her injured leg against the table, bent the other leg slightly, and cracked the pumpkin seeds with her right hand on her knee.
The harvest production team did not produce much food, but they did produce a lot of winter melon and pumpkin. My grandmother would often steam, slice, and dry the leftover pumpkin into jerky for the brothers who delivered food to her and bring it back as a snack.
It's sweet, soft and delicious.
"That auntie went to the kitchen. Maybe she went to chat with my aunt." Gu Yuanchao pressed his face against the yellowed newspaper, trying to see more clearly.
"Just chatting." Gu Qingqing didn't care: "Brother, don't you want to go chop wood? Do you want me to help you?"
"Just be quiet, girl, with your legs like that." Gu Yuanchao then remembered the task his aunt had given him and asked her, "Why don't you take a nap? I'll call you for dinner."
"No, I can't sleep." Gu Qingqing stood up and stuffed the last pumpkin seed into his mouth, clapped her hands, stood up and walked out slowly.
"..."Gu Yuanchao followed her while chewing pumpkin seeds.
The girl cried so hard before that he thought she was seriously injured and wanted to eat fried pork with bamboo shoots when he got home.
Shi Qingzhou had already rubbed his hands and picked up the axe to prepare to chop wood. When he saw Gu Qingqing coming out, he glanced at her legs and asked, "Why did you get off the ground?"
Gu Qingqing was amused by his words, "I'm fine."
"Then you..."
"The sun is too strong and walking is too tiring." So she pretended to be pitiful and asked her brother to carry her on his back.
It certainly hurts, but there were worse things when I was a kid. Sometimes when I was catching crabs I would accidentally bump my knees against rocks and they would all turn purple and bruise.
The barefoot doctor at the clinic in Dagouzi Village was very good. He applied some medicated oil and rubbed the affected area for two days and the patient was back to full health.
I will never forget the kindness of Dr. Hao Yizhen, who has enabled me to grow up smoothly.
Shi Qingzhou heaved a sigh of relief. He had long known his cousin's mischievousness, and chuckled, "I'm glad you're okay."
The brothers stood at a distance, each holding an axe and chopping firewood. Gu Qingqing was also not idle. She carried the chopped firewood to the eaves and piled it up so that she could use it whenever she wanted.
Around five or six o'clock, the production team went off work one after another. Today they were working in the fields.
Shi Ji walked into the yard barefoot, carrying his shoes. "You are so diligent, my dear. There is half a bag of salted fish in the kitchen. Go and ask your mother to cook it for you."
"No, I want to eat sweet boiled pumpkin. Grandpa, are you tired? Wash your face first, I'll get you a bowl of water." Gu Qingqing smiled sweetly.
"Every time I see our granddaughter laughing like this, I feel that she is harboring evil intentions in her heart." Shi Ji turned around and said to his old wife behind him.
"She pours you a drink with good intentions but you blame her. Qingqing, don't pour it for your grandpa, give it to your grandma." The crow's feet at the corners of Zhou Man's eyes were all revealed by her smile.
"Hey! Then I won't pour it for grandpa." Gu Qingqing responded happily.
When the family members came back from work, they took turns washing the dirt off their hands and legs. Shi Rushuang called her daughter, "Qingqing, go to the kitchen and get the dishes and chopsticks. Tell your brothers to stop chopping wood and eat first."
"Okay."
A full moon was faintly visible in the sky, hanging above the treetops.
They sat around the stone table. Gu Qingqing saw her grandparents picking up the chopsticks and couldn't wait to pick up some sour radishes.
Crisp, tender and refreshing, it is the most refreshing thing to eat in summer.
Wang Xiuying was busy putting food into her son's bowl. Shi Rushuang spread out a few pumpkin cakes, rolled them up with shredded turnips and passed them to Gao Feng: "Eat more, Fengwa. Grow taller."
Gao Feng's cheeks are bulging and he looks like a little squirrel.
Gu Qingqing also took big bites of the pumpkin pie. Shi Rushuang felt a little headache watching her eating: "Qingqing, eat slowly."
"I'm hungry, mother!" Gu Qingqing blinked her big eyes and said flatteringly, "Next time, next time I will eat in small bites."
Shi Rushuang complained helplessly to her sister-in-law: "Sister-in-law, she has been saying this for several years. Do you think she has changed her mind?"
He Qiushui ate salted vegetables and corn steamed buns, and laughed loudly: "Hey, it's okay, our Qingqing won't have to worry about getting married anyway, eat whatever you want, eat with big mouthfuls, it tastes better."
Shi Qingzhou nodded vigorously to agree with A Niang's words.
Being able to eat is a blessing.
In the evening, the breeze was cool and refreshing, and they had a rare chance to relax. They ate slowly and chatted about family matters.
"Do you have a photo of that boy? Let us see it." Zhou Man asked the lady.
Shi Rushuang served her mother a bowl of pumpkin porridge. "Yes, yes, your granddaughter is watching it closely. She keeps it in her pocket like a treasure and doesn't let anyone touch it."
"Mother! How could I be like that!" Gu Qingqing's face became thin every time she heard about the photo. "I'm full. I want to go out for a walk."
"I'll go too." Gu Yuanchao put down his bowl and chopsticks and wiped his mouth. "Shall we go fishing in the river?"
"Okay, wait for me. I'll get a basket."
Without waiting for the adults to react, the three siblings disappeared at the gate of the courtyard.
"He can't stay with us. Qingzhou usually looks quite calm, but when Qingqing came to help North Korea, his childish nature came out." He Qiushui broke off half of the steamed bun and gave it to the man, and continued to ask: "Did Qinglie tell us what the boy's personality is like? What does he do at home?"
Most people are poor farmers now, but there are also families whose parents work in state-owned factories, like Gu Yuanchao's parents, Gu Cai is a chef in a state-owned hotel, and Zhang Yuqing is a worker in an enamel factory.
The couple’s combined monthly salary is about 40 yuan!
Nowadays, the chefs in state-owned hotels are no worse than the workers in large state-owned factories, and it is prestigious to say so.
To be honest, Gu Yuanchao's conditions are better than Gu Xiong's.
However, Gu Canyang and Gu Qinglie were more favored by families with daughters. They were soldiers! They all worked in the army, and they could save up their monthly allowances, grain coupons, cloth coupons, and oil coupons. Moreover, if one person joined the army, the whole family would be honored.
Who doesn't want a son-in-law who is a soldier?
"That's not what he said." Shi Rushuang smiled and shook her head: "Qinglie said in his letter that he wanted to eat candied green plums. I guess he wanted Qingqing to come over and take a look for herself. If she likes it, we can talk about other things later."
However, she had a particularly deep memory of the boy's high-spirited look in the photo.
I’m afraid he’s too arrogant and looks down on their daughter.
Wang Xiuying saw that Gu Qingqing's plan was unsuccessful, and thinking of her nieces from her mother's side, she couldn't help but speak up: "Rushuang, what are your Canyang and Qinglie's requirements for a wife? I have two nieces from my mother's side, who are about the same age as Qingqing..."
Shi Rushuang's smile faded and she glanced at her indifferently.
After Gao Haiyue heard what happened in the yard in the afternoon, what she had been unable to understand before gradually became clear. She wondered why her sister-in-law from her natal family was suddenly so generous and gave her eggs and brown sugar for her confinement.
It turned out that the plan was to target Canyang and his two siblings.
Glancing at her elder sister-in-law's surprised expression, she felt a little embarrassed and annoyed, but after all, she was her elder sister-in-law and it was not good to embarrass her in front of her husband's family.
"Sister-in-law, we must find Canyang and Qinglie in the army. We also have many good guys in the production team. You can help your nieces to meet them tomorrow. How about that?"
Wang Xiuying saw that her family members didn't respond, so she knew what they meant. She said angrily, "Okay, I'll go take a look tomorrow."
Shi Rushuang didn't hear what she said at all. She turned around and whispered to her mother and sister-in-law. The three men of the Shi family were chatting about the work of tomorrow's production team.
Gu Qingqing walked along the path by the river, the refreshing evening breeze made her squint her eyes unconsciously.
"Don't go into the water. Just sit here and wait for us." Gu Yuanchao gave her a few words, then picked up the basket and rolled up his trouser legs to go into the river with Shi Qingzhou.
"Don't worry, my legs hurt and I can't soak in water, but I'm not stupid." Gu Qingqing sat on the shallow grass, casually pulled a piece of dogtail grass next to her, turned it around in her hand a few times, and found it boring.
She took out the photo from her pocket, holding a dogtail grass in her mouth, and her mouth was stretched like a crescent moon.
The man in the photo had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and his nonchalant look struck her heart directly. Gu Qingqing used the moonlight to trace his facial features inch by inch.
Gu Qingqing suddenly thought of something and couldn't help laughing out loud.
That arrogant bastard Gu Canyang has been showing off in front of her all the time because of his good looks. Now that she has found someone who is better looking than him, can he show off in return?
I wonder if my second brother's army will have a holiday this year. If only I could bring him back to meet my grandpa, grandma, father, mother, uncles, and aunts by the end of the year...
"No." Gu Qingqing shook her head: "What are you thinking about? We haven't even started yet."
She woke herself up.
"Gu Qingqing, you have to work hard!"
Gu Yuanchao bent down and caught a fish. Just as he stood up and was about to throw it into the basket, he saw his sister clenching her fists and muttering something as if she was going to hit someone.
He wondered and shouted, "Qingqing, what did you say?"
"Brother, you are so awesome! Catch a few more and we will have fish soup tomorrow morning." Gu Qingqing reacted quickly to save himself and flatter him.
She is most adept at things like stroking someone's fur.
She can make you so angry one second, and in the next second she has ulterior motives and her mouth is as sweet as honey, coaxing you to open your heart and soul, wishing to give her the best in the world.
Sure enough, Gu Yuanchao was very impressed by this: "Don't worry, we will definitely let Qingqing eat delicious fish soup as soon as she wakes up tomorrow morning."
Shi Qingzhou was also a good fisherman. The two brothers caught more than ten small crucian carps in half an hour, which was definitely enough for making soup.
Gu Yuanchao held a bamboo basket in one hand and a pair of cloth shoes in the other. The old rubber bands on the soles of his feet had become hard enough that he didn't feel any pain even when stepping on the sand and stones.
"Brother, please walk slower." Gu Qingqing followed them leisurely, looking at the moon and the fields from time to time.
"Do you want me to carry you?" Gu Yuanchao stopped, handed the basket to Shi Qingzhou, and asked her while putting on his shoes.
"Okay." Gu Qingqing stretched out her hand and waited for her brother to carry her on his back.
Gu Yuanchao squatted down and said with a smile: "You have been carried by us brothers since you were a child, but you don't seem to have gained much weight in all these years." Putting his arm through her knees, Gu Yuanchao weighed her and found that the girl's small body really didn't weigh much.
"You must have become thinner after returning from the military corps. There is not much to eat there. I heard that we can't even eat cabbage."
"There should still be wheat bran steamed buns." Gu Qingqing was also a little uncertain: "I heard from Brother Meng Nan that the wind and sand are strong at the border, and it's difficult to grow vegetables. But it doesn't matter, I don't like eating cabbage either."
"When the time comes, carry more food coupons and money with you. If things really don't work, you can buy food and cook for yourself."
Gu Qingqing lay on her brother's shoulder, her hands around his neck as she listened to him chattering away. Her little head was against his face, and she felt warm in her heart.
"I know, bro."
Gu Yuanchao slapped her head away in disdain: "Don't get so close to me, your hair is about to get in my nose. Remember to be careful when you go out by yourself, don't rush to get anything new, remember to be safe."
"I know, I know." Gu Qingqing tilted her head slightly, facing Gu Yuanchao, who was walking side by side with Shi Qingzhou, and yawned, feeling a little sleepy.
While Gu Yuanchao was still muttering, Gu Qingqing had already dozed off with her eyes closed.
Shi Qingzhou looked at his sister who was facing him, and his eyes became softer.
When they got home, Gu Qingqing was already sleeping soundly. Shi Rushuang called her several times but failed to wake her up. Finally, Gu Yuanchao carried her back to the room and gently placed her on the kang.
Shi Rushuang pulled over a patched blue cotton quilt and covered the girl with it. She raised her hand and slightly opened the window, letting in a cool breeze from outside.
"Yuan Chao, Qingqing has been protected very well by you brothers since she was a child. Now she is going to the military corps, and I am really reluctant to let her go." As she spoke, the corners of her eyes reddened slightly.
Gu Yuanchao lit a kerosene lamp and placed it beside the kang. How could he not understand the complicated emotions in his aunt's heart?
The younger sister is the only girl in the three generations of the Gu family. Not only has she never been wronged at home, but even in the village, she has never been wronged. But when she goes out and they are not around, Gu Yuanchao is really worried.
"Aunt, don't worry. Qingqing is very smart and won't let others bully her." After thinking for a long time, he only said this.
I can't just stop her from going, after all, she's been thinking about it for so long.
Shi Rushuang wiped her eyes with her hand and patted his shoulder: "Qingqing is old enough, let her go out and have some fun. It's just a visit to relatives, she will be back in ten days or half a month. Let's not talk about this anymore."
"Yeah, okay."
Gu Yuanchao followed his aunt out and subconsciously closed the door gently to avoid the creaking sound of the wooden door waking her up.
Shi Rushuang chatted with her nephew for a few words, and then went to Zhou Man's room to talk privately with her mother.
Shi Qingzhou put half a tank of water in the fish tank. He was afraid that wild cats would take the fish in the middle of the night, so he covered the tank with a pot lid, leaving a gap.
"Still chopping wood?" Gu Yuanchao glanced at the axe standing in the corner.
"Come on." Shi Qingzhou handed it to him and said, "It's alright anyway, how about we compete?"
"How to compete?" Gu Yuanchao became interested.
"Whoever chops the most wood in half an hour goes to sleep first, and the person who carries the rest of the wood will finish chopping."
"Okay." Gu Yuanchao spat twice into his palms and rubbed them vigorously: "Let's get started."
There are not many people in the Shi family. Only his great grandfather, uncle, younger uncle and Qingzhou are the men who can do some physical work. Unlike the Gu family, there are many old men in the house. If it rains and they can't go to work, they will just stay at home and do nothing. They will even rush to do things like washing dishes and feeding chickens.
He was thinking of doing whatever he could to help out at the Shi family, so that Qingzhou could save some trouble.
Zhou Man listened to the brothers' laughter and the sound of chopping wood outside the window, took her daughter's hand and sat on the kang and said, "Yuan Chao is a good boy. In previous years, Xiongwa also helped with work. In the evening, he was still chopping wood in the mountains. Let him rest here for a night before going back. The next day, the chopped firewood will be neatly stacked by the wall."
Zhou Man likes these children of the Gu family from the bottom of her heart.
They are honest and kind, never do anything dishonest, and they all have pretty looks. They always greet people politely when they meet them.
"Rushuang," Zhou Man said with a gentle look in her eyes, "You have been married to the Gu family for more than 20 years. Before you got married, your father and I told you that if you were wronged in the Gu family, you should come back to your parents' home."
When Shi Rushuang heard this, she also smiled: "I know that my parents love me from the bottom of their hearts." The daughters of other families are like water spilled on the ground after they get married, so they would never talk about returning to their parents' home often.
"Your mother-in-law loves you too." Zhou Man looked at her daughter's still young face and sighed: "Every time you come home, you never say a bad word about your mother-in-law in front of me. I know you are happy in the Gu family."
"Aunt always accompanies you during the holidays. Others say that Aunt is simple and honest, and kind-hearted. Mother has also seen over the years that Aunt is really good. Every time she comes back, she has a smile on her face, and she never looks impatient. She never complains about our family, and instead often sends us food and vegetables."
"Rushuang, you must respect your parents-in-law in the future, and don't get angry with your aunt. Now that he is the captain, he has greater responsibilities. And your brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law are all kind-hearted people. Whenever I think of them, I feel lucky that my daughter can marry into such a harmonious family."
Shi Rushuang nodded with a smile: "Mom, I know all this even if you don't tell me."
"Mother is now worried about Qingqing. Although she is not as spoiled as the girls in the city, she was also raised by a house full of old and young masters. Your mother-in-law treats her like the apple of her eye."
At this point, Zhou Man patted the back of the girl's hand and said, "I'm just afraid that she will get used to it and get married in the future..." She didn't say the rest.
But Shi Rushuang could already guess it.
Mother is simply afraid that if Qingqing marries someone else, her husband's family and his people won't be as accustomed to her as the Gu family is.
"Mom, don't worry. Qingqing has so many brothers to support her. Although she seems carefree, she is actually very considerate, just like her father. Can you tell me who she has a difficult relationship with since she was a child?"
Shi Rushuang comforted her mother: "You know Qian Guihua in our village, right? She is a well-known gossiper in the surrounding area. Who hasn't been talked about behind her back by her? Every time she records work points, she brings a notebook to check the numbers, for fear that people will let her down."
Zhou Man was amused by the lady, and her brows relaxed: "Qian Guihua's family is from the production team next to us. The Qian family is famous for being stingy and never letting others take advantage of them."
"Yes, but no matter how much you dig, you can't beat your granddaughter. Have you ever heard her say a word about Qingqing'er? Our little monkey often goes to her house to eat."
"That said, our Qingqing is really a likable person." Zhou Man's eyes softened when she mentioned her granddaughter.
"That's right. She has known how to say nice things to make people happy for a little food since she was little. What Dad said today is right. The happier and sweeter she smiles, the bigger her plans are. She is harboring evil intentions in her heart."
"As for your granddaughter, I would be grateful if she doesn't bully others."
"You know it yourself, so what are you worried about?" Zhou Man looked at the lady with a smile.
Shi Rushuang was stunned for a while, then she lay on my mother's face, covered her face and laughed: "After all this time, you are the one who comforts me."
Zhou Man gently stroked her back, "Children have to grow up. When I saw you were absent-minded all day, I knew you were worried about Qingqing going to the army."
"You, Canyang and Qinglie were not as old as Qingqing yet they joined the army. They even fought in several wars, but you were not that worried. Why is it that Qingqing is worried too?"
"It's different. Qingqing is a girl." Shi Rushuang buried her head in her mother's shoulder and said in a muffled voice, "I just can't bear to let her go."
"Mother knows." Zhou Man patted her back from time to time. When the girl was going to marry into the Gu family, she was also very upset and couldn't sleep for the whole night.
Now that she saw her daughter was happy, she was happy for her from the bottom of her heart.
"Qingqing has grown up. We need to let her grow up and stand out on her own."
When Gu Qingqing was half asleep, she felt a warm touch approaching her. Her nose twitched and she smelled the familiar soapberry scent of her mother.
She whispered softly, "Mother." and rolled into the familiar warm embrace.
Shi Rushuang looked at her sleeping face lovingly, raised her hands to tuck in the corners of the quilt, and gently patted her beloved baby in her arms——
"Mother is here, go to sleep."
The next morning, Shi Rushang got up and helped her mother and sister-in-law prepare breakfast. Gu Qingqing rubbed her eyes and washed up in a daze. After eating breakfast, she packed up her things, said goodbye to her grandparents, uncles and aunts, and took the production team's ox cart to the town.
Gu Yuanchao and Shi Rushuang sat on both sides, and she sat in the middle, yawning with hazy eyes.
"Sleep a little longer if you want." Shi Rushuang calculated how much cloth she could exchange for the cloth coupons in her hand, and how much it would cost to make a set of clothes at a tailor shop.
After hearing this, Gu Qingqing leaned on Gu Yuanchao's arm, rubbed it twice, and fell asleep again.
Shi Rushuang was helpless. After staying with a lady for too long, one would really feel helpless.
Gu Yuanchao held onto the plum basket beside him with one hand to avoid falling, and with the other hand he supported the girl's back to prevent her from flying out if the ox cart shook.
"We're here. Rushuang, you've finally come back, why don't you stay a few more days?" The one driving the ox cart was the team's driver.
"I have a lot of things to do at home. I have to go back quickly. Uncle, please help me."
"Where are you going? People from the same village don't need to be polite. The supply and marketing cooperative is in front. Should I drop you off there?"
"Okay, thanks, uncle."
"My dear," Shi Rushuang got off the ox cart and woke up the girl, "Now that we're in town, can I buy you some cloth to make you some new clothes?"
"Okay!" Gu Qingqing was pulled by Shi Rushuang and first went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy cloth, and then went to the tailor shop.
The old tailor in the tailor shop wore a pair of reading glasses and asked, "You have a lot of fabric. Can you make two sets of summer shirts and two sets of long gowns?"
"Okay, let's do as you say." Shi Rushuang agreed readily.
"I can make one more set if I calculate this way." The old teacher used a ruler and chalk to draw a line on the fabric: "How about making another gown for your daughter?"
"No need," Shi Rushuang glanced at her nephew who was talking to the girl next to her, "make another set of long gowns for the boy."
"Okay." The teacher drew out the pattern neatly, measured the sizes of Gu Qingqing and Gu Yuanchao, and started operating the sewing machine.
"You guys sit outside and wait. You can pick it up this afternoon."
"Okay, thank you for your help." Shi Rushuang took her daughter out and said, "Qingqing, I'll take you around."
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