Chapter 214: Prosperity 214: Grind away the arrogance in your bones...
"Then I guess I didn't see you." After Gu Qingqing finished hanging the dried fish, she ate a dried shrimp and passed one to her: "You can eat one crab for a meal, how can you eat two? I don't have such a big pot."
"One is steamed and the other is stir-fried. We can't ask you to compromise with our bland diet." Xiao Xiao chewed on dried shrimps: "Your second brother will be back to the Construction Corps in a few days, right? It's a good opportunity to dry some dried fish for him while the sun is still strong. If you go there later, you won't have to worry so much."
"Then we have to go to the market to buy some fish. As for the photo..." She looked at the short-haired girl next to her, "Can you help me find it this afternoon?"
"Okay, I'll carry the crab in for you?"
"Put it on the kitchen stove. I'll go tell my brother. They're taking care of Tuantuan and Niannian."
"Okay."
Ten minutes later, Gu Qingqing, carrying a vegetable basket, left the military compound with Xiao Xiao.
"Let's go to the market and see if there are any cherry tomatoes. I've been craving them for a long time. If I hadn't come to your house for meals, I would have eaten in the cafeteria every day. My mother rarely cooks."
"Where did you get this big crab?" Gu Qingqing asked, tilting her head.
"My uncles and aunts at home often send fresh seafood to me from the dock. My mother uses it to make seafood porridge in the morning or sends it to other aunts in the compound. But I only ate seafood porridge at home twice last year, and the rest of the time I ate it in the cafeteria."
Gu Qingqing nodded: "You and Uncle Xiao are both in the army, so it's convenient to eat in the cafeteria. When Tuantuan grows up, I will be too lazy to cook."
"That's different. You have a big family, so it's better for you to cook for yourself." Xiao Xiao chatted with her idly. The breeze blowing from the sea in the morning was refreshing, and the sky was azure blue, like spilled ink.
"You haven't been to the pier yet? I've been busy with training these days. In four or five days, I'll take you to the harbor to buy some fresh seafood."
Gu Qingqing was stunned for a moment: "I've been there. You have to pass through the pier to go to and from the island."
"That's the military wharf. Have you seen fishing boats there? They are all military ships." Xiao Xiao laughed: "The harbor wharf is on the other side, a bit far from the military wharf. You can ask Brother Chu to buy a bicycle. It will be convenient to go anywhere."
"I also want to buy a bicycle. Ah Sui is old enough to ride it out for sightseeing. Nanyang is a big city. I heard from Chu Dai that there are parks and red propaganda stations here. I am planning to take the three children out to see the city when I have time."
"It seems that there is nothing fun in the park. Tickets are required. The Red Youth Ideological Propaganda Station is in the south of the city. Call me when you come and I will help you look after the children." Xiao Xiao went out a lot when she was little. There were many girls in the compound, but few were as crazy as her. However, the uncles and aunts in the compound were all soldiers, and they liked ladies with her personality.
"Okay, but we have to wait until Saturday or Sunday when Ah Sui has the day off."
"I know you're worried about this brother. Anyway, just call me whenever you want to go. It probably won't work if Chu Dai is on vacation. He is the youngest and has the lowest position in the Navy Command. Some of the old guys above him have a good relationship with Uncle Chu, but some don't like him. I guess they have made things difficult for him during this period."
"Ah?" Gu Qingqing followed the girl with a basket on her shoulder, looking a little worried: "What should I do?"
"It's okay, just treat it as a training. You can only climb up in the army if you have the ability. No matter how powerful the backer is, it's useless if you don't have the ability. Real gold is not afraid of fire, but I guess Uncle Chu will be very happy to hear it."
He felt that the harder Chu Dai was beaten, the more his arrogance would be worn away and his character would become more stable.
Gu Qingqing could only nod. She didn't know much about the affairs in the army, but she believed in Chu Dai.
The market is not far away, and the seafood and vegetables caught by the production teams here are very popular.
The Nanyang Military Region was too large, and there were many sisters-in-law following the troops. There were family compounds in the southeast, northwest, northeast and southwest of the army, and there were even houses of more than ten families in one building.
In order to save money, the sisters-in-law buy their own groceries and cook their own meals. If you come at mealtime, the market will be closed.
All the dishes were sold out and the stall was closed.
Xiao Xiao took Gu Qingqing to walk around the market stalls and picked some cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. She said, "If you can't stay idle at home, you can ask Uncle Chu to arrange a job for you at a supply and marketing cooperative or service station. The salary is high and the work is easy, but you have to stay at home to take care of the children, so it's a bit difficult to spare."
Gu Qingqing had no plans at first, but after hearing what she said, she was really tempted: "I'm not familiar with the aunties and sisters-in-law in the compound. Usually when I meet them, I just nod and don't talk at all. If it weren't for Tuantuan accompanying me every year, it would be really boring to stay at home."
"In two years, Tuantuan and Nian Nian will be over three years old, right?" Xiao Xiao watched her pay the bill and said, "Won't you have time if you send them to the Red Education Class? Just pick them up at a certain time in the afternoon."
"Huh?" It's true.
Gu Qingqing put the vegetables in the basket and asked her, "So, do you think I should learn something in these two years? For example, learn a foreign language or something."
"Then I don't know what to suggest. You should go back and discuss it with Old Chu and ask him for some advice." Xiao Xiao took a small tomato directly from the basket, wiped it on his sleeve and ate it: "With Uncle Chu's status and position, it's just a matter of a word for you to get any position you want. But my father told me since I was a child that if you have the ability, you can rely on connections. That's called using power to get yourself to the corresponding position. If you don't have the ability and still want to use connections to climb up, you will hurt others and yourself."
"I have a few good-for-nothing cousins who tried to get a job through the back door, but they were scolded by my dad and kept quiet."
Gu Qingqing nodded. She agreed with what Uncle Xiao said. It was for this reason that her grandfather did not allow all of her cousins to use connections to join the army.
I’m afraid that if I take a wrong step, someone will gossip about me behind my back.
Even the highest-ranking military commander has people he doesn't get along with.
Gu Qingqing went to the seafood stall to buy some fish and shrimp. The stall owner asked in surprise, "Comrade, are you sure you want so much?"
Looking at the girl in military uniform next to her, you can tell that she must be from the southern military region. However, military wives only buy one or two fish at most. How can they buy them like this!
"Yes, I use it to dry the fish." Gu Qingqing frowned, "Can you help me find something to put them in? My basket can't hold them anymore."
"Okay, I'll get you two net bags to carry the fish in. You have to return them to me when the time comes. I need them again." The stall owner said as he bent down and took out two green net bags from under the stall. He put the fish in them, but found that they were difficult to carry, so he looked around for a bamboo pole and passed it through the knot in the middle of the net bags.
"Okay, don't worry, I'll ask my brother to bring it over later." After paying the money, Gu Qingqing looked back and saw Xiao Xiao rubbing his hands, lifting the bamboo pole on his shoulders and carrying it directly.
Effortless.
She was startled: "Why don't you run back and ask my brother to carry it back."
Xiao Xiao shook his head nonchalantly, "What's the big deal? Do I need to call you brother? See if you have anything else to buy."
Gu Qingqing secretly clicked her tongue, this girl's personality was really similar to Goudan's, very reckless.
She glanced at the vegetable basket. Bitter melon, eggplant, beans, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers were all available. There was still some meat left at home so she didn't have to go to the supply and marketing cooperative. She also grew some green onions at home.
"I'll buy some more chili peppers and then go back." The chili peppers here are grown by the local production team. Not only do they have thick skins and many seeds, they are not very spicy. They just add different colors to the dishes.
Fortunately, she brought chili seeds from home, and she loosened the soil and sprinkled them on the soil when she returned in the afternoon.
After buying a bag of mixed green and red peppers, Gu Qingqing followed Xiao Xiao carrying the vegetable basket.
She held the net bag firmly with both hands, one in front and one behind, to prevent it from shaking. She still had enough energy to turn around and talk to Gu Qingqing: "Shen Sui and the others should be back for lunch today."
"Eh? Doesn't school end at 4pm?"
"On the first day of school, I handed out new books and got to know my classmates. I was out of school before 12 o'clock. From tomorrow on, I will not be out of school until 4 o'clock."
"...Look at the road ahead," Gu Qingqing said with a headache, "Then we have to hurry back. It's five minutes past eleven now, and Mr. Qin must be back for dinner."
Back at the military compound, Aunt Chu was chatting with someone on the sidewalk outside. When she saw Xiao Xiao carrying so many fish, she exclaimed, "Xiao Xiao, why did you buy so many fish?"
"Auntie, it wasn't me, Qingqing bought it. It's dried fish." Xiao Xiao grinned: "You haven't cooked yet?"
"Your Uncle Chu and Brother Zhao are both eating in the cafeteria. I'm too lazy to prepare it. I'll just go to the cafeteria to eat later."
Xiao Xiao nodded, put his arm on the bamboo pole, and said maliciously: "How about those girls you showed my brother Zhao? Are there any that you like?"
"Yes, the one at the supply and marketing cooperative is pretty good. When Chu Zhao comes back from his mission, I'll let him take leave to go back and have a look." Aunt Chu smiled brightly and said hello to Gu Qingqing: "Qingqing, I just saw a young woman carrying dates to your house. She seems to be the wife of Xue's brother-in-law."
After that, she continued to mutter to her auntie next to her about the girls she had met at her parents' home in the past two days, "…They are all very pretty, no worse than those in the city."
Xiao Xiao raised his eyebrows: "The one who came to see you before? What bamboo?"
"Pei Zhu, it should be her." Gu Qingqing said, "She probably came to visit her eldest sister-in-law and came to visit me."
"Then let's go back quickly."
"good."
After returning to the Chu family's yard, Xiao Xiao found a large basin, poured out all the fish in the net bag, and scraped the scales in the yard.
Pei Zhu was playing with the two kids in the living room. Her husband and Gu Canyang were comrades-in-arms and they saw each other often, so they chatted from time to time.
Seeing Gu Qingqing coming back, she stood up and smiled: "I am here to bother you again, Qingqing."
"Sister-in-law, I don't know how to respond to what you said." Gu Qingqing sat next to Gu Canyang, stuffed a washed cherry tomato into her eldest son's hand, and then handed another to Gu Canyang's mouth.
Gu Canyang opened his mouth and took a bite naturally.
Gu Qingqing looked at the bag of dates on the tea table and said embarrassedly, "I always ask you to give me things, but I have never given you anything."
"Hey, wasn't it Lantern Festival yesterday? Someone from my mother's family sent me a basket of dates, but I couldn't finish them all, so I just gave some to my eldest sister-in-law, and I thought I'd bring some for you as well."
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