The dried radish was successfully preserved. After drying in the sun for a day, it was pickled with salt, vinegar, sugar, MSG and peppercorns and then sealed in an earthenware jar. There were kimchi originally in the container, which Gu Yan put into a plastic storage box. There is no kimchi in this place, so you can only eat it secretly.
While she was pickling the vegetables, the two sons of Sister Xu also found out the whereabouts of Han Laoer for her. It turned out that these people had moved to a cave in Nanshan. No wonder the brigade failed to catch the person after being reported.
After confirming that these guys were there today, Gu Yan asked the team leader to catch the gamblers the next morning.
"Don't go if you're pregnant."
"It's okay. Walking is good for production."
"Not working?"
"The team is digging stubble and plowing the fields today, and my big belly is really in the way."
After she said this, the captain said no more. They called two battalions of militiamen, and a group of four quietly approached the gambling location.
The cave was located under the cover of a forest. Several people approached slowly and quietly, and when they reached the entrance, they heard some noises inside. A few men were shouting and yelling, and the gambling money they carried included various kinds of food and the smokeless charcoal that Han Laoer had brought.
The captain had a fierce look on his face and raised his hand to signal the militia to follow him in. Gu Yan didn't go in. She looked at the stick in her hand and raised it up silently. I used you as a crutch just now, and now I use you as a weapon. None of these people can leave today.
Gambling is illegal. When the gamblers in the cave saw the newcomers, they ran out in panic, not caring about the things they were carrying. The lazy guys were afraid that they would be caught by the team leader and punished by being forced to work.
"ah……"
"ah……"
"Oh my god, I'm going to die from falling..."
One of the four was caught, and the remaining three all fell into Gu Yan's hands. One stacked on top of another looks like a stack of monks. Han Hongtu raised his head and saw that it was her. His dark red eyes were instantly filled with resentment.
"You damn bitch, it's you again. Are you trying to kill me?"
"I want my charcoal." Gu Yan looked at him with disdain. "I don't want a life like yours. What else can you do besides being sneaky and committing crimes? You're a waste of food when you're alive and a waste of land when you die."
"you……"
The insult was so harsh that Han Hongtu had never suffered such a severe blow before. For a moment, his cheeks turned red with anger and he was speechless. His eyes, already redder due to losing the charcoal, became even redder and he jumped up to hit someone. Unfortunately, just as he got up, he was pinned to the ground by the militiamen behind him. His arms were tied tightly behind his back with hemp ropes.
The four gamblers tied up two pairs, tied them together with a rope, and walked back under their supervision like exiled prisoners in ancient times. He carried a large bag containing confiscated gambling money. And the whistleblower Gu Yan successfully got his charcoal back.
The culprit was caught red-handed and there was no way he could escape. After the four gamblers were criticized and educated, they were punished to do voluntary labor for the brigade for half a month. Now was the time when people needed to work hard to plow the fields. The guys had bitter faces and dared not say anything, for fear that they would really be thrown into prison as the captain said. As a result, he was caught by the team leaders and treated like an animal, which was really miserable.
Han Hongtu, who was always sneaky and cunning, was whipped several times by the captain after working for a long time. When he got home in the evening, he was tired and in pain. He barely ate his meal and then lay down without moving. I had forgotten my previous plan to settle the score with Gu Yan.
The next day, the weather suddenly changed. The north wind came with snowflakes and the temperature dropped to zero degrees. In the fields, each team leader sped up the final work, while Gu Yan lit the stove in the house. Her belly is so big that she could give birth at any time, so she has to be prepared for it.
"It's only been a few months and you're already lighting a fire. I guess the charcoal is free. It must have been blown here by the wind, right? Spendthrift daughter-in-law, what sin did our Han family commit to marry someone like you..."
The old lady Han’s scolding was not loud, and it was not at the same level as the scolding of the shrews in the past. Gu Yan just pretended not to hear. She was really not feeling well and she was too lazy to argue with anyone.
My aunt is about to give birth now, so everything will be settled after I give birth.
Maybe it was really a premonition, because that night when she was sleeping, she felt her stomach cramping. This happened frequently recently, but she didn't take it seriously.
It was not until she was awakened by the pain in the middle of the night that she finally realized something was wrong. Maybe it's time to give birth. I glanced at the time and it was past two in the morning. What to do now? Who will help her call the midwife?
Aunt Xu lives in another village two miles away. The two villages are now part of one brigade, so everyone comes to her for help when they have children. The two villages are separated by the wilderness. You can't let two children go there in the middle of the night, right? What should I do if I’m taken away by a wolf?
"Mom, what's wrong with you?"
"Mom, do you have a stomachache?"
Dahua took out a cotton coat and put it on her, while Xiaohua went downstairs to get a bowl and poured her half a bowl of water from the kettle she had just taken out today.
Warming by the fire, the water is just right for drinking. Gu Yan took the bowl of water and was about to praise the child when he felt another stomach cramp. She didn't even have time to drink the water. She supported herself on the kang with her arms, waiting for the contractions to pass.
"Go to the main room and call someone. Your...father, or your grandparents. Tell them that mom is about to give birth and ask them to call the midwife."
She was actually about to give birth. Seeing that her forehead was covered with sweat due to the pain, the two children responded and quickly got dressed and went downstairs to open the door.
"Grandma, Dad, please get up quickly. My mom is going to give birth to my little brother. Go call the midwife."
When Dahua shouted this for the second time, there was finally movement in the main room. "Shut up, you're calling me in the middle of the night. You haven't given birth for a hundred days, and you have to torment me in the middle of the night. Ask your mother to bear with it until dawn."
Dahua was about to cry because of her grandma's weird words. "My mom is in so much pain. She has been feeling uncomfortable these past few days. Grandma, please ask my dad to find a midwife. She is in so much pain..."
"Shut up and get out of here. You bitch, you better die sooner rather than bothering me here..."
"Dad, please help mom call the midwife. The little brother in mom's belly is also your child..."
"Get out of here, or I'll beat you both to death."
The two young ladies had psychological trauma and were frightened by Han Hongtu so much that they dared not bother him anymore. They looked at each other in the dark night and quickly returned to their rooms.
"Mom, let's go call Grandma Xu."
"Mom, are you in a lot of pain? Can you stay at home by yourself?"
The two young ladies stood by the kang, their identical little faces showing identical concerns and worries. The coldness that had just come from the main room was diluted, and Gu Yan felt warm in his heart again. I hadn't counted on them in the first place, and this time I've completely given up hope.
"You two can't go." She stretched out her hand to signal Dahua not to speak and listen to her. "Take the flashlight and go with mom to find Aunt Xu and ask her for help."
"We can just go, you wait at home."
The two girls said something and ran outside with flashlights in hand. After they were both out of the house, Dahua suddenly pushed her sister and said, "You stay and take care of mom. I can go by myself."
Xiaohua nodded and came back again. Gu Yan originally wanted to say that the two of them should keep each other company, but the footsteps of the eldest girl outside the door had already gone far away. She didn't dare let her little girl go to her sister to bring shame upon herself, so she could only wait anxiously. There are so many wolves these days, and it's really worrying late at night. Fortunately, the two families are close to each other, the child is holding an electric baton, and this place is in the center of the village, so it should be fine.
"Mom, what should I do now?" Xiaohua looked at her with worry, standing there uneasily with her little body. My head was whirring around, trying to help her.
"Poke the fire and add some coals, then boil some water."
"Why."
The child agreed and started working quickly. Before the fire was lit, hurried footsteps were heard outside the door.
"When did the pain start? How often does it hurt now?"
As soon as Xu Damai entered the room, he asked in a hurry and reached out to touch her belly, as if he was trying to judge when the little one inside would come out.
"I've been feeling uncomfortable these past few days. Today, I woke up in pain in the middle of the night. The pain happened about every ten minutes. I guess I'm about to give birth."
"Don't worry, my wife has gone to call the midwife and will be back soon. You should eat something first so that you will have the strength to give birth later."
Gu Yan thought about it and it made sense. He was not feeling well at dinner and only drank a bowl of porridge. Now his stomach was empty, so how could he have the strength to give birth to a baby? She was just about to say that there were some black dumplings in the cupboard and take them out to soak in water and eat them. Xu Damai had already taken out a few handfuls of soybeans from his lapel.
"Wait for me to fry it for you. It will be ready soon."
Soybeans are considered nutritional supplements these days, and you need a certificate from a hospital to buy them. The fields in the countryside are also monitored very strictly, and people are searched when they come out. I don’t know how much effort Sister Xu put into making this little thing, but she actually gave it to her.
Lowering his head to hide the moisture in his eyes, Gu Yan bit his lip, not knowing whether he was crying or laughing. She is a cold-hearted person. Ordinary people are not worthy of her attention, let alone her heart. In my previous life, I only had one close friend. Coming to such a cold and disgusting home, I didn't expect to meet someone like Sister Xu. They found a midwife for her in the middle of the night without saying a word and also brought her life-saving food.
"Sister Da Mai, thank you." From now on you will be my real sister.
"Why are you being so polite? We are from the same village, and we married into the same village. That means we are destined to be together for several lifetimes." Xu Damai smiled naively. "Don't tell me, if it was someone else, I really wouldn't want to give it to her. You are so lucky now. If you were the weak and limp person you were before, I wouldn't know how to help you."
The woman's cheerful words made Gu Yan laugh as well. The gloom in the main room was illuminated by this warm affection, and the unbearable labor pains were temporarily ignored.
"Don't be afraid. You've already given birth to one child, so the second one will be ready soon." The soybeans in the pot gave off a fragrant smell, but Xu Damai, who was holding the chopsticks, felt a little worried. "The harvest is even worse this year. If you really give birth to twins, will you be able to drink the milk?
A woman in Gaozhuang Brigade gave birth to a child a few days ago. I heard that she has no milk and is looking for people to borrow millet from. But where can we get millet these days? The yield of millet per acre is less than 100 grams, and there is nothing left after paying the public grain tax. The members have no share at all, where can they get millet? ”
The woman spoke like a machine gun and slapped herself before Gu Yan could respond. "Look at me, I'm so quick-witted, blurting out everything. You haven't given birth yet, so don't think too much about it. What's important is that the baby is born safely. As long as the adults are fine, that's better than anything else. As long as there is green hills, there will be no shortage of firewood."
Gu Yan didn't know how to react to this, so he smiled and took the soybeans from her hand and started chewing them. Don’t worry, Tucao was transported here, and I was sent by their biological mother to save them.
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