Chapter 105
When Xu Huaisheng returned home from school, he smelled the aroma of stewed chicken with mushrooms wafting in the air.
She put her schoolbag on a chair in the main room, quickly turned into the kitchen, and asked happily, "Big sister, second sister, are we having chicken today? It smells so good!"
When chickens or ducks are slaughtered at home, they are usually used to make soup, such as chicken soup or pickled radish and old duck soup.
Especially last month, when we had to deliver meals to the hospital, we would kill a chicken and make soup almost every other day. Everyone in the family could drink some, but the main purpose was to nourish Gu Xi and Xiang Changchuan.
Gu Xi was sitting in front of the hearth, with a pot on the iron rack, stewing chopped chicken inside. She said, "Huaisheng, we have guests coming over for dinner today."
"What kind of guest is it?"
“He is your brother-in-law’s comrade-in-arms.”
Xu Yuansheng took a handful of pickled cabbage from the sauerkraut jar and stuffed a few potatoes into his little sister's hands: "Go peel the potatoes, and put them in the pot to stew with the chicken later. Don't you like to eat this?"
"Oh yeah, thank you, second sister! I love the potatoes in the stewed chicken the most. They're so soft and fluffy, they're super delicious."
Xu Huaisheng loves potatoes. She enjoys them all, whether they are steamed, baked, stir-fried, or braised. Her favorite is potatoes stewed with meat, which absorb the meat broth and become exceptionally fragrant.
Back in her hometown, she had never eaten potatoes stewed with meat. It was after coming here that Gu Xi started stewing potatoes and meat together, which made her fall in love with potatoes in stew.
Xu Huaisheng peeled the potatoes, washed them, neatly cut them into chunks, and threw them into the pot.
After adding the potatoes, the amount of chicken in the pot looked much larger. Cover the pot and continue to simmer; soon, the aroma will fill the air.
Tonight's meal is a welcome dinner for Xiang Changchuan and his two children.
In addition to stewed chicken with mushrooms and potatoes, I also made steamed cured meats, stir-fried pork with pickled cabbage, stir-fried eggs with chives, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, and tofu and cabbage soup.
The staple foods are rice and white flour steamed buns; you can eat whichever you like, and the portions are large and filling.
As dusk settled, Shen Mingzheng and Xiang Changchuan arrived with their two children.
Before coming, Xiang Changchuan and his two children changed into clean clothes. In addition, the three uncles and nephews were all very good-looking, and they looked exceptionally handsome and eye-catching when they stood there.
Along the way, it has indeed attracted a lot of attention.
Xiang Changchuan, carrying gifts for his visit, entered the house and said to the people inside, "Sister-in-law, I'm sorry to bother you."
The two children also politely followed their uncle's lead, saying, "Excuse me."
When Xu Huaisheng saw the three uncles and nephews, he was surprised to see such good-looking people. His face turned slightly red, and they all looked much more ladylike than he had been in front of his two older sisters.
Gu Xi and Xu Yuansheng invited them to wash their hands and eat.
Xiang Changchuan saw the dishes on the table and smiled, "You've gone to so much trouble, sisters-in-law."
"No trouble at all. The ingredients are all from home, so it's a simple meal. Please don't be shy," Gu Xi said politely. "Xiao Zhao and Xiao Yun must be hungry. Come and eat."
Xu Yuansheng served rice to everyone and asked the two children if they wanted rice or steamed buns. When he learned that they wanted steamed buns, he put steamed buns in their bowls.
The steamed buns were fresh out of the steamer, still steaming hot, soft and delicious.
The two children had been traveling with their uncle to the military base these past few days, and the food on the bus hadn't been very good. Now that they were able to eat this kind of home-cooked food, their appetites were whetted.
The Xu sisters sat next to the two children, taking good care of them by serving them food so that they wouldn't feel embarrassed and wouldn't dare to pick up their chopsticks, instead just keeping their heads down and eating their steamed buns.
Seeing this, Xiang Changchuan was immediately relieved and felt very grateful to the Gu sisters.
After dinner, as it was getting dark, the three uncles and nephews prepared to go home.
Shen Mingzheng found two kerosene lamps in the house for them, which were kept at home in case of a power outage. He said, "You don't have electricity yet. We'll have someone come and install it tomorrow."
The house is too dilapidated. It didn't have electricity before, and now that Xiang Changchuan has moved in, they have to find an electrician to come and fix it.
Gu Xi handed over a flashlight and said, "I see that many of the roof tiles are broken. The tiles need to be replaced, otherwise it will leak when it rains."
Xiang Changchuan laughed and said, "Sister-in-law, I know. I'll have someone come over to do it tomorrow."
Because there weren't many empty houses in this area, the house he was given wasn't very good; it had been uninhabited for a long time and needed a lot of repairs.
Xiang Changchuan said goodbye to them, picked up the kerosene lamp, and took the two children back home.
As darkness fell, Xiang Changchuan, shining a flashlight, reminded the two children, "Xiao Zhao, Xiao Yun, watch your step, don't fall."
The two children responded sullenly.
When he got home, Xiang Changchuan first lit two kerosene lamps with a match, and then went to the kitchen to boil water.
The room was still empty, except for their luggage and some daily necessities that Shen Mingzheng had helped them buy at the supply and marketing cooperative that afternoon. But even in such a large house, it didn't look like much.
Fortunately, Gu Xi came to join the army last year, and Shen Mingzheng helped her tidy up the house, which enabled him to buy everything she needed; otherwise, he would have definitely missed something.
While Xiang Changchuan was busy, the two children silently went to help, carrying kerosene lamps to make the bed.
Ten-year-old Xiang Zhao is already considered a big kid and can help with many things, taking good care of himself and his younger sister; Xiang Yun is also obedient, doing whatever her brother does, like her brother's little shadow.
After boiling the water, Xiang Changchuan told the two children to go take a bath.
They haven't showered much these past few days on the bus. Last night, while staying at the guesthouse, they only wiped themselves down briefly. Both adults and children felt uncomfortable and needed to take a shower before they could get a good night's sleep.
After the adults and two children had all finished showering, the night grew even deeper.
Xiang Changchuan thought that the two children must have been tired from being in the car these past few days, so he told them to go to sleep and get some rest.
The brother and sister slept in the guest room, which contained only a bed with a mat and bedding already laid out.
These were all obtained from the military, so there was no need to purchase anything else.
Xiang Changchuan personally escorted the brother and sister to their guest room and asked, "Are you two alright sleeping here? Would you like me to sleep with you tonight?"
He was a little worried that the brother and sister might be scared since they were new to the place.
During this time, he had noticed that his two nephews and nieces were too quiet and well-behaved, which was heartbreaking.
Thinking back on the past few years, they have been living at their uncle and aunt's house, which is not really their home. It feels like they are living under someone else's roof, and they don't know how much they have suffered.
Xiang Zhao said, "Uncle, you don't need to stay with me. My sister and I will sleep together."
Xiang Yun glanced at her uncle, grabbed her brother's clothes, and whispered, "I'll sleep with my brother."
Neither the brother nor sister wanted their uncle to accompany them.
"Really?" Xiang Changchuan was still worried. He bowed slightly, looked at the two siblings at eye level, and said in a very gentle tone, "From now on, this will be your home. I will take care of you! In your own home, you can do whatever you want. Don't be afraid. If there's anything you want, you can tell me."
As he spoke, he reached out and patted the heads of the brother and sister.
The brother and sister both looked at him. Perhaps it was because the uncle in the lamplight was too gentle, or perhaps it was because his words touched them, that they gradually relaxed.
Xiang Yun pursed her lips and revealed a smile with dimples, her voice becoming light and cheerful, "Uncle, I've been sleeping with my brother for the past few years. When my older cousin tries to take my candy, my brother will protect me." She thought for a moment and then added, "There are a lot of people in my uncle's family, and there aren't enough beds, so I always sleep with my brother."
Xiang Changchuan's expression remained unchanged as he smiled and said, "Yes, our Xiao Zhao is a good child and will protect her younger sister."
"Uncle, I'm not a child anymore," Xiang Zhao said somewhat awkwardly. "I can take good care of my sister."
Xiang Changchuan said, "Xiao Zhao is indeed a big girl now, I know that." He glanced at the room, "After a while, I'll have someone send over another bed for Xiao Yun to sleep in."
As girls grow older, they can't always sleep with their brothers.
There was nothing I could do when I was at my uncle's house, but now that I'm here, I have to be careful about what I need to be careful about.
Hearing this, Xiang Zhao was somewhat bewildered. She couldn't help but glance at her uncle again and suddenly asked, "Uncle, are you trying to find us a aunt?"
"What?" Xiang Changchuan was a little confused.
Xiang Zhao sighed like a little adult, "Before leaving my uncle's house, I heard my uncle and aunt say that it's inconvenient for a single man like you to take care of a child, and they wanted to introduce you to a woman who could take care of us. Actually, there's no need for that. I'm all grown up now and can take care of my sister. It's okay if you don't want to find a aunt."
Xiang Yun looked at her uncle with curious eyes.
Xiang Changchuan finally understood what he meant, and was somewhat amused and exasperated. "Why did you suddenly bring this up?"
But I was a little annoyed. As an elder, I didn't even try to be mindful of the children's words. What if they misunderstood or started to overthink? These two children had been living with relatives for several years, which had fostered their sensitive and introverted nature. If things got any worse, who knows what would happen?
He was very grateful to his sister-in-law's family for helping take care of the two children over the years. In order to repay them, he sent most of his salary over the years, also worried that the two children might not be eating well there.
But he felt even more sorry for his two children.
Perhaps because he had given so much money over the years, the child's uncle and aunt were reluctant to let him go when he went to pick him up. Because of his insistence, they thought of introducing him to a girl, who happened to be the child's aunt's cousin, a close relationship that would make it easier to stay in touch.
The behavior of these two people inevitably made him suspect that his child had suffered a lot of injustice over the years.
These past few years, he's been incredibly busy, and every time he goes to visit them, it's a rushed affair, and he can't stay for long.
Xiang Zhao hesitated for a moment, then said, "I heard it. My aunt is going to marry her younger sister to you..."
He felt a little ashamed as he said this. Although he didn't eavesdrop on purpose, he had been squatting there listening for a while because his uncle and aunt had just mentioned his younger uncle.
"Your aunt said you're ungrateful, and that you look down on her younger sister, which is why she doesn't agree to marry her..."
In fact, the original words were even harsher, and Xiang Zhao didn't understand some of them.
However, he understood what his aunt was saying: that the Xiang family members were either dead or exiled, and that things were not what they used to be; they were even worse off than a destitute family. She said it was a blessing if any woman was willing to marry his uncle, and that his uncle shouldn't be so picky...
Xiang Zhao was very sad. His great-grandfather was dead, his grandparents were gone, and his parents were also dead. It seemed that all they had left was his uncle.
In the lamplight, Xiang Changchuan's expression was somewhat stern, but it quickly softened.
He reached out and hugged the two children, saying, "Don't think so much, little ones!"
Seeing them staring at him so intently, Xiang Changchuan realized that the words of the child's uncle and aunt had a great influence on them, and he had to explain things clearly.
“Don’t listen to your uncle and aunt’s nonsense. I just haven’t met your aunt’s sister and don’t know what kind of woman she is. I don’t want to marry a stranger.” He sighed deliberately. “Besides, the military base is located in a remote area. Women from the city can’t adapt to it and generally wouldn’t want to marry here.”
“My aunt’s younger sister isn’t a woman from the city,” Xiang Zhao said. “She’s my aunt’s cousin from her hometown in the countryside.”
Xiang Changchuan said matter-of-factly, "That won't do either. The garrison is even more remote than the countryside. We can't let her suffer after marrying into the family, right?"
Xiang Zhao: "..."
Xiang Changchuan tried to persuade the two children that he hadn't married their aunt's sister; he just didn't want to hold her back and had no other intentions.
Xiang Zhao asked hesitantly, "Really? You won't just marry a random concubine to take care of us?"
"No!" Xiang Changchuan assured him, "I believe Xiao Zhao can take good care of herself and her sister. I won't marry just anyone."
Xiang Zhao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He was worried that his uncle might just marry a random woman to take care of him and his sister.
He doesn't want a strange woman to suddenly appear in his current family; having his brother-in-law and sister is enough.
**
The next day, after having breakfast, Gu Xi and Xu Yuansheng came to Xiang Changchuan's place to see if they needed any help.
When they arrived, they found the house was crowded and lively. Some people were repairing the roof, while others were building toilets and bathrooms. There were also piles of materials in the yard.
I guess he's taking advantage of the time he still has these next couple of days to finish it all at once.
Xiang Changchuan was squatting on the roof laying tiles when he saw Gu Xi and Xu Yuansheng coming over. He patted the dust off his hands and climbed down the ladder.
He asked, "Sister-in-law, Comrade Xu, what brings you here?"
Gu Xi said, "I came to see if you need any help... By the way, don't call my sister Comrade Xu, just call her Yuansheng."
Xiang Changchuan smiled and replied, "There's nothing here that we need your help with. It'll be done quickly. Besides, it's a bit messy here and you'll get your clothes dirty, so you should go back first."
"Why don't you come to my house for meals these next few days? It's probably not convenient for you to cook here for the time being." Gu Xi looked around and then asked, "Where are Xiao Zhao and Xiao Yun?"
"Inside the house."
Xiang Changchuan called the two children out.
The two children don't need to help with today's work. They are quite sensible and stayed inside the house so as not to disturb the adults.
Gu Xi looked at the two children and said, "It's quite busy here, and they can't help much. Why don't you let them come to my place? You can take them home after dinner tonight."
The two children were quite quiet and didn't make any noise, so she didn't think it would be a problem to bring them home.
Thinking about their background, I felt a pang of pity.
Xiang Changchuan didn't agree immediately. Instead, he turned to the two children and asked, "Do you want to go to Aunt Gu's house to play?"
Xiang Zhao looked hesitant.
"Come to my house, I'll make you red bean cakes and roasted sweet potatoes. I can also draw, I'll teach you how to draw..." Gu Xi tilted her head, "Oh, and my family also raises rabbits, I'll give you two little rabbits to raise."
Rabbits are indeed a killer for children.
The two children, who had been hesitant, immediately agreed, their eyes sparkling as they followed Gu Xi and Xu Yuansheng away.
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