Chapter 57
When Gu Xi returned home from next door, she found that Shen Mingzheng had already come back.
"Brother, you're back so early today?" she said in surprise. He got off work more than half an hour earlier than usual today.
Shen Mingzheng was washing his hands by the well when he said, "Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. There's nothing much going on at the regimental headquarters, so they let us go home first."
Although there is no holiday for the Mid-Autumn Festival, Chinese people still attach great importance to this traditional festival and will do their best to make things convenient for everyone.
Shen Mingzheng wiped his hands clean with a towel, walked up to her, put his arm around her waist, and pulled her close to examine her closely.
"When did you get back? Are you tired? Are you alright?"
It's no wonder he's so attached to his wife; when he's with her, he can't help but want to care for her, protect her, and shield her from all hardship for the rest of his life. This is his responsibility as a husband and his instinct as a lover.
Gu Xi smiled at him, "I got back around two o'clock in the afternoon. It's alright, not too tiring! By the way, I bought some really good pork fat in town today, and I just rendered some lard... Oh, I almost forgot, I need to get some food for the chickens, ducks, and rabbits. I can't let them starve to death."
Suddenly remembering that she hadn't fed or watered the chickens, ducks, and rabbits she brought back, she jumped up to prepare them.
Shen Mingzheng reached out and pulled her back, gently stroking the back of her head with his fingers, then sliding down to the back of her neck and pressing it, saying in a soothing tone, "Let me do it."
When he came back, he found two cages under the pomegranate tree. He didn't expect that she had gone to town today and bought some live animals.
Gu Xi felt a tickle on her neck from his actions, but also a sense of relief. She was already used to his kisses and touches, and she quite liked these slightly comforting and affectionate gestures.
"Can you do it?" she asked skeptically, feeling that he didn't seem like someone who could do this kind of work.
"Yes, sometimes I go to the farm and see other people raising chickens and ducks."
Soldiers these days have done all sorts of things and are very capable with their hands.
Shen Mingzheng was no exception. He went inside and found some yellowed and wilted vegetable leaves, chopped them up, and then sprinkled them into the cage.
Gu Xi looked around, found two rough earthenware bowls, poured more than half a bowl of water into them, and put them in the cage.
However, neither of these cages is very big, especially the cage for chickens and ducks, which is extremely crowded. It's not good for them to be so crowded all the time.
Gu Xi went back to her room to find a rope, grabbed the duck out of the cage, tied one of its legs with the rope, and tied the other end to the pomegranate tree trunk. This way, the duck wouldn't be confined in the cage and wouldn't run around and damage the vegetable seedlings that had already sprouted.
As for the chicken, she didn't let it out; she put it in the cage and planned to take it to her brother and sister-in-law's house for a treat later.
After finishing all that, she put her hands on her hips and looked at the ducks that had started to move around and eat vegetables. She turned to Shen Mingzheng and said, "Brother, where can I get some wood? I want to build a chicken coop."
"You want to raise chickens?" Shen Mingzheng asked.
In the family compound, some military families also raise chickens, which is convenient for both meat and eggs. In the bungalow area, many families have set up chicken coops in their yards and raised a few chickens.
Gu Xi said, "It's not certain yet, but we can make one first. If there are chickens for sale at the town market later, we can buy them and raise them. We can kill them whenever we want to eat them." Then she pointed to the rabbit cage and said, "I plan to raise these two rabbits to have baby rabbits, so we'll have rabbits to eat later."
Shen Mingzheng looked at the two black and white rabbits in the cage and said, "Should I have someone send some wood over tomorrow... or should I have one custom-made?"
It's quite convenient to have a chicken coop built and delivered directly without spending much money.
"No need, I'll make it myself!" Gu Xi said. "I'll put the chicken coop next to the pomegranate tree, measure the dimensions first, and make it according to the specifications. It's easier to make it myself..."
She was already thinking about how big and how to build the chicken coop.
The room next to the kitchen was used as a storage room, filled with various items. She went to check it out and found a very useful toolbox with many tools for working. It must have been bought specifically when the house was renovated. With these tools, she could build the chicken coop herself.
"You can?" Shen Mingzheng was somewhat surprised.
"Of course!" Gu Xi said confidently, hands on her hips. "I've seen other people build chicken coops, I know how to do it, it's not difficult at all!"
She had never done it before, but she had seen others do it, even if it was online.
In the future era of advanced internet, her favorite thing to do is to use other people's internet. She has learned a lot from the internet, and although she has never tried it herself, she remembers it quite well. She can try to do it. Anyway, she has time now and wants to do everything.
Shen Mingzheng said nothing more. Since she wanted to do it, he would let her give it a try.
If it doesn't work out, we can find someone else to do it.
After feeding the chickens and ducks, Gu Xi washed her hands and went to pack the things she would take to her brother and sister-in-law's house later.
Seeing a package of mooncakes, a bag of fruit, and two cans of fruit on the table, she turned to ask, "Brother, were these mooncakes and canned fruit issued by the army?"
Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it's normal for the military to distribute benefits, such as mooncakes and fruit.
Shen Mingzheng grunted in agreement, picked up a piece of pork belly she had bought that day, and cut it in half as she requested, to take to Gu Yuanyang's place later.
This piece of pork belly is quite large; it can last for several meals.
Shen Mingzheng suddenly asked, "Xixi, where did you buy this meat?"
Gu Xi, who was flipping through mooncakes, paused, looked at him, and said, "A friend recommended these... They're the two educated youths we met on the train, Cheng Yuanyuan and Gan Dongliang. We ran into them at the market today. They know someone in town and took me to buy them..."
Under his sharp gaze, Gu Xi realized that there was really no way to hide anything.
To conceal something, you have to lie first. One lie requires several more to cover it up, and it's impossible to get away with it. This person's insight is too strong; no one can lie to him.
Finally, Gu Xi confessed honestly, "I bought it on the black market!"
Shen Mingzheng calmly hummed in agreement and then salted the remaining pork belly to prevent it from spoiling.
The weather is still hot, and the best way to preserve meat is to make it into salted meat. Salted meat has a unique flavor and is really versatile. It can be stir-fried with pickled cabbage or pickled bamboo shoots, or used as a topping for noodles. She also likes to eat it.
Gu Xi kept staring at him, carefully observing his expression. Seeing that he didn't say anything more, she knew she had passed the test.
Even an upright soldier knows that there's no way to stop something like this. Everyone knows that as long as she doesn't engage in speculation or profiteering, he naturally won't interfere.
As for her going to the black market to buy things, as long as she's smart enough not to get caught, he won't interfere.
After packing up, Gu Xi put the cut pork belly into the basket, covered it with some other things, picked up the chicken from the cage, and the two of them went out to her brother and sister-in-law's house.
When they arrived at their brother and sister-in-law's house, they found that Ji Ya and the others had already returned.
Gu Tuantuan sat in the main room eating mooncakes, while Gu Yuanyang and his wife were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen.
Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and my sister and brother-in-law are coming over for dinner. The couple takes this very seriously, so they went to buy groceries and prepare ingredients early this morning. They even specially ordered some mutton from the canteen's logistics department.
Upon seeing the two approaching, they even brought a chicken and a piece of pork belly.
Ji Ya said, "Where did you buy this chicken? This piece of pork belly is quite nice. You can take it back and eat it. We have plenty here."
"These are for you. The chickens were bought at the market; you can raise them for now and kill them whenever you want to eat them!" Gu Xi said. "I also bought ducks and rabbits; we have those where we live..."
Upon hearing this, Gu Tuantuan ran over, grabbed Gu Xi's hand, and looked up at her, asking, "Auntie, do you have a rabbit?"
"Yes!" Gu Xi smiled and pinched the little girl's soft, chubby cheeks. "I have two rabbits, and I plan to raise them and let them have baby rabbits."
"Wow, a little rabbit!" Little Gu Tuantuan's eyes lit up. Children are completely powerless against cute little animals. "Auntie, Auntie, I want to raise a little rabbit too!"
Gu Xi agreed without hesitation, "Sure, once they have baby rabbits, you can raise them!"
Gu Tuantuan was overjoyed, circling around Gu Xi like a little animal, her two little braids swinging back and forth behind her head.
Seeing this scene, Ji Ya, Gu Yuanyang, and Shen Mingzheng couldn't help but smile.
“Xixi is like a child,” Gu Yuanyang said softly. “She gets along very well with Tuantuan.” In his mind, it was as if he had raised two daughters.
Ji Ya smiled and said, "Xi Xi is not very old to begin with."
The couple continued cooking in the kitchen, and Shen Mingzheng helped pick and wash the vegetables. Gu Xi and Gu Tuantuan played in the main room and ate mooncakes together.
Gu Tuantuan asked, "Auntie, what color is the bunny?"
"One black and one white."
"Black or white?" Gu Tuantuan asked, somewhat troubled. "Then what color are the baby rabbits they give birth to?"
This stumped Gu Xi, as she wasn't very familiar with biological genetics and could only rely on her imagination.
"It could be white, it could be black, or it could be a mix of black and white fur..."
"Auntie, do you have a gray rabbit? Nini's family used to have a rabbit, a gray rabbit, but they lost it later." She used to envy Nini's family for having a rabbit.
Gu Xi said, "I don't know, but there should be a gray one, right? Black and white mixed together, that's gray?"
This is obviously nonsense, just something to comfort children.
Gu Tuantuan propped her little face up and exclaimed, "Black, white, and gray rabbits?" She said happily, "I want white rabbits, black rabbits, and gray rabbits. Auntie, please let them have these three colors."
Gu Xi shrugged: "Sorry, I can't do that. The color of the rabbits they have is up to them to decide."
"Oh well……"
Listening to the conversation between the older and younger children, the three people in the kitchen couldn't help but laugh.
Gu Yuanyang felt again that he was actually raising two daughters, right? It was perfectly fine to raise his younger sister, who was ten years younger than him, as a daughter.
Look how well she and Tuantuan get along; they discuss things together like sisters.
Gu Tuantuan and Gu Xi did get along quite well. Gu Tuantuan even took out her sketchbook and crayons and drew pictures with Gu Xi.
The aunt and niece sat there doodling and drawing, painting flowers, grass, trees, and small animals.
Seeing the cartoon rabbit drawn by Gu Xi, Gu Tuantuan said with delight, "Auntie, the little rabbit is so cute, I like it."
She looked at Gu Xi with sparkling eyes, thinking that her aunt was really amazing and the little rabbit she drew was so cute.
Gu Xi looked at the cartoon bunny and realized that after spending so much time online, she had become accustomed to the anime and manga style online, and the little animals she drew all had a cartoonish feel, which was very popular with children.
Then she drew other small animals from the Chinese zodiac, also in a cartoon style, but they were easy to recognize.
Ji Ya and the others prepared the dishes, brought them to the table, and told them to wash their hands and eat.
Gu Tuantuan pulled Gu Xi to wash her hands.
Dinner was very plentiful, including pig's trotter soup, braised mutton, salted pork with dried bamboo shoots, a plate of stir-fried greens, and cold black fungus salad.
The five of them sat down to eat and chat, creating a lively atmosphere.
After dinner, the two men washed the dishes and cleaned the house, while Ji Ya cut a plate of fruit and brewed a pot of tea.
Then everyone sat down to eat fruit and chat. Gu Tuantuan held her sketchbook to her mother and said happily, "Mom, I love the little animals Auntie drew!"
Ji Ya flipped through the pages and smiled at Gu Xi, saying, "Xi Xi's drawings are very interesting. Have you studied them before?"
"I've learned a little," Gu Xi said casually. "There are art classes at school, and I learned from the art teacher."
"That's great." Ji Ya praised. Gu Xi is currently unemployed and mainly resting, but she can't just stay at home doing nothing. She heard that Gu Xi likes to read and can draw something in her spare time to pass the time, so she won't be too bored.
When it was almost time, the two families set off together to the auditorium to watch the performance.
As dusk settled, the streets were filled with people, mostly families heading to the auditorium. They carried small stools, as seating in the auditorium was limited, and they needed to bring their own stools to use during the movie.
Gu Xi and the others also brought small stools, and the group chatted as they walked.
When we arrived at the auditorium, the performance was about to begin, and there were so many people that the auditorium was almost full.
They ran into many acquaintances and greeted each other.
The Miao family, the Xu family, and some other people they could talk to greet each other, creating another lively atmosphere. The children couldn't stay still and ran around, chasing and playing. The whole environment was lively yet noisy, loud enough to hurt one's eardrums.
Although Gu Xi enjoys lively atmospheres, this is far too lively, and her head is starting to throb.
They sat down near the edge, took out the snacks they had brought, and ate them while they waited.
Gu Tuantuan sat next to her aunt. She liked her aunt very much. Her aunt not only raised rabbits, but also drew very cute little animals and told her the story of the twelve zodiac animals. She knew a lot about them.
The performance began soon.
Because their positions weren't very forward, their view wasn't great, and they could only see a limited amount of things, but everyone still enjoyed watching.
Gu Xi watched for a while, but quickly lost interest. Having spent a long time online, she had seen much more exciting performances. The performances of this era were relatively simple and lacked variety, so they couldn't attract her.
Perhaps realizing she wasn't interested, Shen Mingzheng said goodbye to Gu Yuanyang and the others, then pulled her away.
"Where is Auntie going? I want to go too!" Gu Tuantuan hugged Gu Xi's waist.
Gu Xi said she was going for a walk, glanced at her brother and sister-in-law, and seeing that they didn't care, she took the little girl with her.
They strolled around the neighborhood, enjoying the scenery of the Mid-Autumn Festival moonlit night.
On the Mid-Autumn Festival, the bright moon hangs high in the sky, its light as clear as water, illuminating the ground. The music from the auditorium drifts in from afar, and tranquil memories flow like moonlight.
It was quiet around her. After getting away from the auditorium, Gu Xi's furrowed brows finally relaxed, and she felt more at ease.
He asked, "Don't you like it?"
"It's too noisy," Gu Xi said. "It's giving me a headache."
The screams of the children running around her, in particular, made her very uncomfortable.
The two men held Gu Tuantuan's hands, one on each side, and they looked like a family of three.
When they encountered someone familiar with Shen Mingzheng on the street, the person jokingly said, "Hey, Shen Tuan, is this your child? Are you taking the child out for a walk?"
Shen Mingzheng said, "It's the child of Commander Gu and Doctor Ji."
Gu Tuantuan looked at the man and took his words seriously. She said in a childish voice, "Uncle, my name is Gu Wei, and my nickname is Gu Tuantuan! My father is Gu Yuanyang, my mother is Ji Ya, my aunt is Gu Xi, and my uncle is Shen Mingzheng!" After introducing her family, she said in a serious tone, "Uncle, if your eyes are not good, you can go to the hospital to see an ophthalmologist. My mother can arrange a bed for you to receive treatment."
The person: "..."
Shen Mingzheng and Gu Xi really wanted to laugh.
Although Gu Tuantuan is a young girl, she has been growing up in the hospital with her mother since birth.
Before she started kindergarten, her father was away on missions and her mother was too busy to work overtime. Sometimes she would leave her at the nurses' station and ask the nurses on their days off to look after her. Having spent a lot of time in the hospital, she was quite knowledgeable about the situation and could talk about it in great detail.
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