Because there were so many people, Zhao Li divided the meal into two tables. The adults sat at a high round table, and the children sat at a low square table. The dishes were also divided into two portions.
There were two dishes for each person. It was okay on the round table because the table was large enough to accommodate a few more dishes. But on the children's table, the plates had to be stacked. But for children, as long as they have food to eat, no one cares about that.
Before starting to eat, Liu Dan first asked everyone to toast Zhao Li and his wife with a glass of wine, firstly for their move into a new home, and secondly for the venue they provided for everyone to have a meal together, and thirdly for the prizes for the competition that Zhao Li had carefully prepared.
Everyone laughed and stood up to toast.
Although everyone couldn't help digging their toes into the ground when receiving the award, the relationship between the men and the children was indeed strengthened.
After the first round of toasts, Zong Shao, Zhou Jianhai and Qi Tao started drinking with Lao Zhang and Xing Dong, who had been cheering for them. There was no more politeness between them as before the award ceremony.
The men drank, while the women focused on tasting the food cooked by each other.
Except for Zhao Li who eats in the cafeteria most of the time, the others basically have to cook every day. Their cooking skills are not bad, but the best one is still Liu Dan.
However, the two dishes she cooked, spicy chicken and mapo tofu, were both very spicy, and Deng Xiangyun and Chen Bamei, who did not often eat spicy food, found them a bit unbearable. But everyone else at the table thought it tasted good, especially the Mapo Tofu, which went well with rice.
Among the remaining dishes, the most popular one is the pickled raw food made by Deng Xiangyun.
It was Lin Wei's idea to make raw pickled food. She had made it herself under the guidance of Deng Xiangyun and it tasted good. Taking this opportunity, I wanted to try what she made.
Deng Xiangyun was a little hesitant at first, fearing that everyone would not be able to accept it, but Liu Dan and Yang Yi were both very happy to try new dishes. Although Yang Yi was a little scared, she said she could eat other dishes, so the matter was settled.
The raw marinated food made by Deng Xiangyun is indeed more delicious than that made by Lin Wei. Although Lin Wei also follows the steps she said, when it comes to the amount of ingredients used, she herself can't say for sure. She goes by her feeling and can only give an approximate number, so the difference comes out.
Except for Yang Yi who didn't eat much, everyone else at the round table ate a lot of this dish. As for the square table, because the marinated food contained wine, it was not served to them. Instead, they were given a dish of steamed shrimp with garlic, which was also quickly cleared.
The soup stewed by Lin Wei was also good. Except for Lao Zhang and Xing Dong, everyone drank more than two bowls.
Lao Zhang and Xing Dong drank less, not because they didn't like chicken soup, but because after a round of toasts, the two of them were toasted twice by the other three people in turn. Their stomachs were full of wine, and they couldn't drink so much water.
After two rounds, the others didn't catch them drinking, but Xing Dong was not a good drinker and liked to compete with others in drinking when he was drunk. The two of them happened to be sitting together, so before they finished their meal, they both fell down. One was carried into the master bedroom, and the other went to lie down in Zhao Li's son's room.
After the two of them lay down, the others didn't stop eating either. By the end, everyone was full.
After eating and drinking, they didn't rush to clean up. The women sat together and chatted, while the men stood together and smoked. Of course, only Qi Tao and Zhou Jianhai smoked, Zong Shao didn't.
It's not that no one gave Zong Shao a cigarette. In fact, as soon as Qi Tao opened the cigarette box, he took out two cigarettes and handed them to the other two. However, Zong Shao waved his hand and said, "I quit smoking. You guys smoke."
Qi Tao didn't take his hand back, and advised: "It won't hurt to smoke one."
Zhou Jianhai knew why Zong Shao quit smoking, so he smiled and said, "I think, instead of spending time persuading Lao Zong, you might as well ask his wife."
The yard was so small and Zhou Jianhai kept his voice low, so the women naturally heard it and looked at Lin Wei jokingly.
They were all acquaintances, so Lin Wei didn't think it was a big deal. She just looked up and smiled and said, "Our family is very democratic. Don't try to discredit me outside."
Zhou Jianhai also laughed: "Do you care if Lao Zong smokes?"
Lin Wei looked at Zong Shao with a smile: "It's his freedom to smoke or not, why should I care?"
Zhou Jianhai suddenly felt strange and nudged Zong Shao with his arm: "You heard what your wife said, do you want to have sex?"
Zong Shao pushed back with his arm, waved at Qi Tao again and said, "I really quit smoking." Between smoking and going home to kiss his wife at night, he firmly chose the latter.
Despite his persuasion, Zong Shao was determined not to smoke. Qi Tao certainly couldn't force him to smoke, so he gave up and started smoking with Zhou Jianhai.
The men stopped joking, but the women couldn't stop their curiosity. Zhao Li deliberately moved to Lin Wei's side and asked her in a low voice, "Tell me honestly, was it you who asked Comrade Zong to quit smoking?"
Lin Wei avoided answering: "Why are you asking this?"
"I want to ask you for advice. Our old Zhang is also a heavy smoker. He has a heavy addiction to smoking. He can smoke a pack of cigarettes every two or three days. This is only when he is drunk. If he is awake, the smell of cigarettes can drift from their place to our place." Zhao Li pointed to where Zong Shao and the others were standing and said, "In order to make him quit smoking, I have tried every method, but guess what happened?"
There's no need to guess. Lin Wei said, "Didn't you quit?"
"Yes, if I don't let him smoke, he will hide away and smoke. If I don't give him money to buy cigarettes, he will smoke from others. Do you think this guy is annoying?" Zhao Li asked.
When it comes to men smoking, other people share Zhao Li's feelings and say, "The one in our family is like that, too."
After saying that, several people looked at Lin Wei.
Lin Wei: "...I think quitting smoking depends mainly on personal awareness."
Although Zong Shao would ask him to smell the tip of his finger to see if there was any smell of cigarettes every day when he came back from the barracks and would take the opportunity to ask for a reward, Lin Wei didn't think he really quit smoking just to get a kiss.
Firstly, Zong Shao had already stopped smoking before they talked about the reward; secondly, Lin Wei felt that if Zong Shao didn't want to quit smoking, he could just pretend to obey but secretly disobey. After all, the smell of smoke only lingers for a few dozen minutes, at most an hour or two. He had many ways to hide it from Lin Wei.
Those present were people who had long been battling smokers at home, so they were naturally aware of this. What they were curious about was how Zong Shao made up his mind to quit smoking? After all, he had been smoking for many years.
Lin Wei said honestly, "On the day he moved into the family quarters, I found a few cigarette coupons when I was packing his things, and I mentioned it to him. Also, two months ago, didn't I go to the hospital for a physical examination? I took him with me and asked him to check his lungs in particular."
"Then he quit smoking?" Zhao Li asked in disbelief.
Lin Wei nodded: "After he mentioned it on the day we first arrived on the island, he started to quit smoking, but he only stopped smoking completely recently."
"That's because Comrade Zong from your family is self-aware. If it were my family, it would be useless even if I mentioned it ten times, let alone one time." Liu Dan thought for a moment and asked, "Will a lung examination be useful?"
"If they are afraid of death, the doctor's words might work." Those who are not afraid of death are not within the scope of discussion.
Liu Dan hesitated for a moment and said, "Then I'll ask him to get a checkup some other day."
With someone taking the lead, Zhao Li quickly made up her mind: "I'll talk to my husband Zhang about it some other day."
After the two of them, Deng Xiangyun and Yang Yi also quickly prepared physical examination packages for their men, but they didn’t know whether they could quit smoking after the physical examination.
After listening to this, Lin Wei thought for a moment and said, "I heard that secondhand smoke is more harmful than firsthand smoke. Even if they themselves are unwilling to quit smoking, for the sake of the children, it is best not to let them smoke at home."
Zhao Li didn't quite understand: "What does first-hand smoke and second-hand smoke mean?"
Lin Wei explained: "The cigarettes he smoked were first-hand smoke. For us, smelling the cigarettes they smoked was second-hand smoke. I heard that inhaling too much second-hand smoke may cause cancer."
"How much is too much?" Yang Yi asked.
Lin Wei shook her head: "I'm not sure about this, but I think it's better to smoke less if possible."
After hearing this, they became more determined to take their men to the hospital for a check-up, but that was a matter for the future. What they could do now was to stop the two smoking men from smoking a second cigarette after they finished one.
In order to prevent them from wanting to smoke while chatting, Deng Xiangyun and Yang Yi assigned them a task - to lead the children to play "Eagle Catches Chicken".
Although Zhou Jianhai and Qi Tao were not good at taking care of children, their daughter-in-law asked them to do so, and the children looked at them expectantly after hearing what they said, so they softened their hearts and agreed.
There were ten children present. The oldest was Liu Dan's daughter, who was eleven years old this year. Then there was Zhao Li's eldest daughter, who was nine years old this year. Because they were the oldest, they acted as the eagle and the hen in the first two rounds.
Although they were the tallest among the children, they were rather thin, not very strong, and lacked stamina. When they were playing the role of hens, they were pulled by so many children and could not run fast enough to protect the chicks behind them. When they were playing the role of eagles, they were fine when they caught the first few people, but they could not run any further. As a result, the game process was a bit slow.
Although Qi Tao and Zhou Jianhai both drank, they were not very drunk. After playing in the yard for so long, they were sober long ago. After all, he is an adult and a soldier at that. His physical strength and endurance are far superior to those of the two children.
With them acting as the eagle and the hen, the game instantly became much more exciting and the children's screams resounded through the sky.
Looking at the children's excited smiling faces, the women shifted the topic from quitting smoking to the children. As they chatted, Yang Yi suddenly asked Deng Xiangyun: "Little Shitou is already this big, don't you plan to give her a sister?"
Although Yang Yi's voice was not loud, Deng Xiangyun still reflexively glanced at Zhou Jianhai's old shígG Dujia and said with a red face: "Why are you asking this suddenly?"
Yang Yi laughed: "What's there to be shy about? Nowadays, every family has children running around."
Zhao Li jokingly said, "It's not appropriate for you to say that. You only have two children. If you have three, four or five children running around, right?"
Yang Yi bumped Zhao Li with her arm and asked with a smile: "Do you want to have another child?"
Zhao Li waved her hands quickly: "I have given birth to three children, and I don't want to have any more. You can continue to work hard, especially Xiao Deng, and try to have a good word as soon as possible."
Seeing that the children were arguing loudly, Zhou Jianhai didn't notice their conversation. Deng Xiangyun was not so embarrassed anymore and said honestly, "I have this plan."
Several people burst into laughter after hearing this, and Zhao Li jokingly asked Lin Wei: "Xiao Lin, what about you?"
Lin Wei was so happy that she didn't react for a moment: "Me what?"
"When will Mingming and Ruirui give birth to another sister?" Zhao Li said with a smile.
After hearing this, Deng Xiangyun gloated: "It's your turn now, since you just teased me."
Lin Wei, who didn't expect to be dragged into this, said: "..."
But since they were all acquaintances, Deng Xiangyun answered openly, and Lin Wei also confessed honestly: "Probably not in the past two years."
Zhao Li asked: "You want to wait two years before having a child? Obviously, the age difference between Ruirui and the third child is a bit big." The two brothers are now three years old and less than four years old. If Lin Wei gets pregnant in the next two years, the age difference between the two babies will only be four or five years. But if she gets pregnant again in two years, the age difference will be six or seven years.
In fact, Lin Wei doesn’t want to wait two years to have a child. She wants to wait until after August next year to consider these things.
However, she felt that even if she considered these things now, it would probably be useless. In the original novel, Zong Shao only had two children, Mingming and Ruirui. This shows that she did not have any more children before her death in the novel.
The mainstream idea at that time was that having more children meant more blessings. Before Lin Wei joined the army, her mother advised her to have two more children while she was still young, either a boy or a girl.
Lin Wei didn't feel disgusted after hearing this. Although she had not planned to have the baby before, she would be willing to give birth if she really got pregnant. Therefore, Lin Wei felt that in the novel, after she arrived on the island, she and Zong Shao should not have deliberately used contraception.
But in reality, Lin Wei doesn’t want to have a child for the time being because she dreamed about the plot of the novel. After arriving on the island, she had a frank talk with Zong Shao, but she did not mention the novel. She only told Zong Shao that she wanted to wait until Mingming and Ruirui were older before having children.
Therefore, except for the first time after arriving on the island, Lin Wei and Zong Shao have been using contraception ever since.
The main method of contraception is external contraception. It’s not that Zong Shao is unwilling to use condoms, but the hospital doesn’t sell them, so it all depends on the Women’s Federation to distribute them. The number of condoms distributed by the Women's Federation every month is very limited, no more than a slap. Lin Wei is too shy to ask for more, so this is the only way.
Although the contraceptive method was not safe enough, Lin Wei thought that in the novel, she didn't get pregnant even without using contraception. She had been using contraception throughout her life, so she should not get pregnant.
Of course, Lin Wei would not casually talk about things related to the original plot, so she used the two children as an excuse: "Obviously Ruirui is still too young, I'm afraid I can't take care of it now that I have a child. The older the age difference, the better. Maybe they can help take care of their younger siblings in the future."
Several people thought the same, and Zhao Li also said: "You have two children anyway, and the next pregnancy might be twins."
Lin Wei slapped him: "Can you hope for me to be better?"
When talking about twins, people always say that you can have two at once, but the hardship during pregnancy is far more difficult than that of having one child. And because of insufficient nutrition, twins are often smaller when born and more difficult to raise than single babies.
Ruirui was clearly like that. They were not born naturally, and were born almost a week earlier than expected. In addition, the baby was very small when it was born. Lin Wei had nightmares for several days after giving birth, fearing that she would not be able to raise the baby.
Fortunately, although the two children were small when they were first born, they were in good health. After being carefully raised for a few months, they no longer looked smaller than children of the same age. After one year old, the two children grew faster and faster, and now they are five or six centimeters taller than Xiao Shitou who is about the same age.
Although these two children have been raised, Lin Wei doesn't want to go through those days of fear again. If she could survive and get pregnant again, she hoped it would be a single baby, a daughter would be best, but even if it was a son, she didn't plan to have more children.
Therefore, although Zhao Li meant well, Lin Wei really didn't want to accept it.
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