The two children were probably starving; they took the pancakes and immediately started eating. They took a bite, and the pancakes were so fragrant and delicious that they finished them in just a few bites.
One pancake wasn't enough to fill them up, so the two looked to the southeast and said, "Brother-in-law, could we stay at your house? Xuemei is our older sister."
Southeast slapped himself in the face, realizing that his good intentions had led him to cause trouble, and he was filled with remorse.
Bei Nan walked up, pushed the two aside, pointed at them, and shouted to the group of villagers who were returning:
"There are two more kids here trying to extort money from us and want to stay in our house. Come and kick them out!"
As soon as Bei Nan finished speaking, the two children took off running, faster than eels, and almost bumped into Yan Xiaoqiang's bicycle as he rode back home.
Yan Daqiang observed from the side: Southeast is wise, but unfortunately too soft-hearted, like his mother; Southwest is honest, but sensitive and meticulous, like his younger brother; and North South is a cunning and scheming person, not bad.
Yan Xiaoqiang quickly braked, gave the two speeding boys a strange look, and thought, "Are they crazy?" He got back on his bike and drove home, returning the general's ID to Yan Daqiang.
My admiration for my older brother has reached a new level, especially for the various charges against him. How can my brother be so cultured?
The two brothers returned to the courtyard, with Dongnan and Beinan following behind. When Village Chief Ma saw this, he told Ma's wife to go back first, and then followed them inside.
He wanted to have a good chat with Yan Daqiang about what kind of official that major general was. It sounded like a high-ranking position. Wasn't a general the same as a general? Could it be a young general? Village Chief Ma kept filling in these gaps in his mind.
When Grandma Yan saw the village chief come in, she quickly asked Xuemei to make him a cup of malted milk powder. When the villagers turned against them earlier, it was the village chief and his wife who stood up and cursed them.
Village Chief Ma quickly picked up the malted milk powder. He had only ever heard about such a good thing and had never tasted it before. It must have been brought back by this young general.
It smelled sweet and warmed the village chief's stomach. How could there be something so delicious in the world? I'd be willing to give up ten years of my life for it.
Looking at the village chief's blissful expression, Yan Xiaonan's eyes were filled with sympathy. "Twenty years from now, you'll regret what you said today. Nothing is more important than longevity."
Grandma Yan asked Cuihua to find a piece of kraft paper, scooped several large spoonfuls of malted milk powder onto it, wrapped it into a triangular package, and handed it to Village Chief Ma. "Let your wife and children have a taste."
Without hesitation, Village Chief Ma took it and carefully put it into the pocket of his thick cotton-padded coat, tucking it in a little deeper so it wouldn't fall out accidentally.
Yan Daqiang greatly admired Village Chief Ma's unpretentiousness. He went into his house, took out a bottle of strong liquor, and handed it to the village chief.
"I'm going back to my unit tomorrow, so I'm entrusting my mother and younger brother's family to your care."
Village Chief Ma quickly stood up, took the liquor with both hands. This was a rare and precious item from the capital. He carefully placed the liquor into the other pocket of his cotton-padded coat, his eyes crinkling with laughter.
"Daqiang, you've been in the army for so many years and now you're an officer! That's amazing! You've brought honor to our Mushroom Village! Your wife is so lucky!"
With just one compliment, Yan Xiaonan began to look at Village Chief Ma in a new light. He was indeed cut out to be an official; after all, a village chief is an official.
The village chief reassured Yan Daqiang that with him in charge, no one could bully his sister-in-law. They thought he was a pushover just because he wasn't showing his power.
Seeing the busy Cuihua and Xuemei, Village Chief Ma wisely left. His left pocket was full of wine, and his right pocket was full of malted milk powder. He had made a fortune today.
As soon as Village Chief Ma left, Xuemei knelt down in front of Grandma Yan, feeling extremely guilty. She was the one who had brought this trouble upon herself and had dragged Grandma into it.
Grandma Yan quickly asked Dongnan to help Xuemei up. Dongnan took her hand and said, "It's not your fault. No one in the family will blame you. You're part of my family, and it has nothing to do with them."
Xuemei refused to get up, which displeased Grandma Yan. She immediately asked, "Do you still want to go to the police station to save them, so you're kneeling down and begging me?"
Xuemei was so frightened that she quickly stood up: "Grandma, that's not what I meant. I feel guilty. I've dragged you all into this."
Grandma Yan held Xue Mei's hand and said, "You are my granddaughter-in-law, you have nothing to do with them. Grandma knows you are a good person, I won't blame you. Be good, your uncle is going back tomorrow, go with your mother to prepare some food."
Xuemei looked at her grandmother, then at Cuihua and the others, and saw that they were all smiling and nodding at her. She couldn't help but shed tears of happiness.
My eldest son is going back tomorrow. After all this commotion today, it's getting late. I'll have Xuemei and Cuihua prepare plenty of food. The journey will take several months, so we need to bring enough.
Bring plenty of things like white flour pancakes, boiled eggs, dried sweet potatoes, dried pork, and also some soybean paste—these are the things my eldest son likes to eat.
Seeing his mother not only managing to keep Cuihua and Xuemei in check, telling them what Daqiang liked to eat and what he needed, but also finding things for him to take with him, Daqiang felt very warm inside.
Smoke was constantly billowing from the Yan family's chimney, wisps of smoke swaying in the north wind, and a fragrant aroma wafted out from the cracks in the doors and windows.
Fortunately, it is the cold season, and every household has their doors and windows tightly closed, but a few nearby households can still faintly smell the aroma of meat, fish, and rice.
Given Yan Gang's slanderous remarks, they are now too afraid of the Yan family to cause trouble. They can only keep warning their children to shut up or they will starve.
The children have been learning military gymnastics for almost half a month. Their uncle is going back tomorrow, so today is the day to see how it goes. The children from all directions—east, south, north, south, and west—began their performance.
Yan Daqiang was very satisfied with the set of punches. In just half a month, the children had all shown great spirit. Although they were still immature, they would grow up eventually, wouldn't they?
They were told seriously that they had to practice military boxing every day, regardless of the cold winter or the scorching summer. The children all agreed that they would complete the task.
Yan Xiaonan was also practicing military boxing on the side. Her cute appearance with short arms and legs made everyone in the family love her to death. Grandma Yan laughed until she cried.
Only Yan Daqiang knew that the one who hit the mark best was Yan Xiaonan, but he was too small for everyone to see clearly.
To prove his point, Yan Daqiang made Yan Xiaonan take off her thick cotton-padded coat and go into the main room to make a mask for him.
Yan Xiaonan was very excited. It was a rare opportunity to receive guidance from her uncle. She carefully recalled each move her uncle had taught her and began to practice seriously.
After finishing a set of military boxing, she was covered in sweat, which turned her fair face pink, making her quite a sight to behold.
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