Chapter 94
On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Gu Yuanyang delivered a pork carcass to Gu Xi and the others.
This pig is not the fast-growing white pig of the future, but a common local pig of this era. After slaughtering, removing the internal organs, blood, and filth, a carcass of pork weighs only about fifty catties.
Gu Xi was shocked. "Brother, where did you get this?"
Xu Yuansheng and her sister, along with Gu Tuantuan, circled around the pork slice, making "wow" sounds.
This is an uncut pork carcass, delivered like this. They rarely see such a lavish scene.
The pork was carried back in a large snakeskin bag, which Gu Yuanyang placed by the courtyard for easy processing.
Gu Xi couldn't help but give Gu Yuanyang a strange look, wondering if her brother, who looked so upright and had thick eyebrows, would also do something like her, secretly going to the black market to get it?
So adaptable?
However, once Gu Yuanyang explained, she realized she had misunderstood and couldn't help feeling a little guilty.
Her brother is indeed a very upright soldier; the country has raised him very well.
"It was delivered by a friend from the meat processing plant in the city," Gu Yuanyang explained. He looked up and saw Gu Xi's expression, paused, and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Xi Xi, what are you thinking about?"
I always feel that my younger sister is thinking some very impolite things, so I, as her older brother, am very wary.
Gu Xi said calmly, "I wasn't thinking about anything! Big brother is really amazing. He actually managed to contact a friend at the meat processing plant in the city to buy meat. It must have taken a lot of effort, right? Thank you for your hard work!" Then she said solicitously, "Big brother, go sit down and rest. I'll handle the rest! Yuansheng and Huaisheng, bring our brother a bowl of ginger tea to warm him up. Tuantuan, go and bring some warmth to your father. Your father has worked hard for this family."
Gu Yuanyang: "..."
Xu Yuansheng and her sister suppressed their laughter, went to fetch a stool, and then went to the kitchen to pour him ginger tea. Gu Tuantuan, the little darling, ran to her father and sweetly cared for him, bringing him warmth.
Gu Xi went to the kitchen and took out the meat cleaver and bone cleaver.
Gu Yuanyang had never seen anything like this before, and he found it somewhat amusing. After drinking a bowl of brown sugar water, he took the knife and began processing the pork.
He said to Gu Xi, "You should step aside. Let the men handle this kind of thing. Don't tire yourself out!" His sister is weak and lacks energy, so he can't let her get tired.
"It's okay, I'm strong." Gu Xi felt she had the strength to handle a piece of pork.
Moreover, after taking good care of herself for the past few months, her body is not so weak anymore. Recently, she has been in high spirits and feels like she can ride her bicycle all the way to the county town.
Gu Yuanyang still wouldn't let him have it, and said patiently, "Don't be silly and try to do everything yourself. Sometimes you have to be flexible! Like this kind of thing, no matter if you can do it or not, you can let Commander Shen come back and do it. Don't do everything yourself and let him act like a big man at home. That's not right, it will spoil men..."
“Listen to your brother, men need to be challenged and taught how to do things, get them used to helping with chores around the house, they can’t just do nothing…”
Of the four girls present, the three older ones stared in shock at Gu Yuanyang, who was giving them instructions, while the younger one, who didn't understand anything, looked at her father in confusion.
This was the first time they had ever heard such a principle, and it was even said by a man himself.
Gu Xi thought to herself, so her brother only seemed honest, but he was actually dishonest. No wonder he was able to escape the quagmire of the Gu family, join the army, and be trained by the country.
As soon as Shen Mingzheng got home, he heard his brother-in-law teaching his wife how to discipline men and enslave them to do chores, which left him speechless.
Those who don't know the situation might think the brother-in-law is the mother, worrying himself sick over his daughter.
However, thinking of Gu Xi's biological mother, Jiang Huijun, Shen Mingzheng felt that Gu Yuanyang was quite good. There were some things that her biological mother couldn't teach her, and her mother-in-law couldn't say either. It was good to let her older brother teach her, and also teach her two younger sisters-in-law, so that they wouldn't be foolish enough to be bullied by men in the future.
Gu Yuanyang is a competent older brother.
Xu Yuansheng and Xu Huaisheng were extremely embarrassed when they saw Shen Mingzheng return.
Does this count as the older sister's own brother speaking ill of her in front of her husband? Ugh—this scene is so awkward, how should they react?
However, both Shen Mingzheng and Gu Yuanyang remained calm, their expressions unchanged. Gu Yuanyang even greeted them casually, "Old Shen, you're back. Come and help."
General Shen Mingzheng took off his overcoat, took the cleaver from Gu Xi's hand, and asked, "Where did you get this?"
He, like Gu Xi, had the same idea: could such a piece of pork have been obtained from the black market?
"I had a friend at the meat processing plant in the city deliver it," Gu Yuanyang replied simply.
Shen Mingzheng was not embarrassed by the misunderstanding. He nodded and helped with the work with a relaxed expression.
The two men worked efficiently and quickly finished processing the pork.
Gu Xi squatted there, examining the cut meat, and said, "How about we have a pork stew today? It's been so long since I've had it, I really miss it."
"Pork stew?"
Both men looked over at the same time.
Thinking they wouldn't understand what "pig-killing feast" was, Gu Xi explained it to them.
Shen Mingzheng smiled faintly and said, "I've heard about it before when I went back to my mother's hometown, but I've never tried it." He always missed it for one reason or another.
Gu Yuanyang also said, "I've only heard of it, but I've never eaten it. I've heard that pork stew is very delicious."
This brings us to their area of expertise, and the Xu sisters are both very excited, raising their hands one after another. "We can also make pork stew, and we used to help the elders in the village make it before."
"My eldest sister can do it too. She even used to cook."
Shen Mingzheng and Gu Yuanyang looked at Gu Xi and asked in surprise, "You've even cooked before?"
Even if they weren't from the countryside and weren't familiar with these things, they knew that someone who could cook on such an important occasion was very capable. Before the Cultural Revolution, the village had chefs who specialized in weddings and funerals, and they rarely let a young girl help out, let alone that she was probably quite young back then.
Gu Xi scratched her face and said shyly, "Actually, it's because I'm strong that they asked me to help. I'm not the head chef."
"That's amazing!" Gu Yuanyang exclaimed. "My sister is really amazing; she can do anything."
He looked very proud. He could cook at important occasions in the village and earn money by writing articles after studying. He was really impressive.
Gu Xi felt a little embarrassed but also happy about his praise.
This was the first time she had received recognition from her blood relatives, making it particularly significant.
Shen Mingzheng glanced at Gu Yuanyang. This man only looked a bit simple and honest, but he was actually shrewd despite his rough exterior. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become a regimental-level cadre at such a young age.
He probably noticed Gu Xi's flaws, so he didn't hold back from showing off as a man and praised her as he should.
This brother-in-law is alright to look at.
That evening, they enjoyed a delicious pork stew.
Gu Xi also sent a portion to Qiao Hui and Commander Miao's families so they could try the homemade pork stew.
The Miao family was having dinner at the time. Miao Cuini came to open the door and saw that Gu Xi had brought over a bowl of stewed pork with lots of meat. She quickly refused.
"This was just made at home, you guys have some." Gu Xi insisted on putting it in their hands and asked, "Is your mom back yet?"
Miao Cuini carefully held the bowl and said, "Not yet. She has to work until the 29th of the lunar year, and she won't start her holiday until the 30th."
Gu Xi left as soon as she finished seeing the girl off, not giving the shy girl a chance to refuse.
Miao Cuini had no choice but to take the pork stew back.
When Commander Miao, who was eating, saw the bowl of pork stew, he was very surprised and asked who had sent it. Miao Jianguo and his children were simply happy that they could eat meat again.
Miao Cuini, holding her bowl, dodged her two younger brothers' outstretched chopsticks. "It's a stew from Aunt Gu next door, brought over by her, saying we should try it." Then she said to them seriously, "We can't eat it now. We'll eat it together when Mom comes back!"
With her mother at work and not at home, Miao Cuini, as the eldest daughter, began to shoulder the responsibilities of the eldest sister and had the right to distribute the food in the family.
She took a bowl, poured out the pork stew, and prepared to wash the bowl before returning it to the neighbor.
Seeing that her three younger siblings were really craving it, Miao Cuini took out her chopsticks, picked up a piece of meat for each of them, and put the rest away.
Although everyone could only eat one piece, they were all very happy.
The youngest, Miao Jianshe, bit into the fragrant and oily meat and said happily, "Aunt Gu is so kind; she always brings us delicious food."
“I like Aunt Gu!” Miao Cuiyu also said.
Looking at the happy children, Commander Miao had to admit that Commander Shen's wife was really good at handling things and was also very generous. No wonder most people in the family compound liked her.
**
New Year's Eve is just around the corner.
On New Year's Eve, the weather was still very cold, and the sky was overcast, so it was estimated that it would snow.
Sensing that the person next to her was about to leave, Gu Xi instinctively snuggled closer to warm herself and asked vaguely, "Do I still have to go to work today?"
Shen Mingzheng hugged her, tucked her in, and said, "You're free this morning, so you can stay home. You have to go to the regimental headquarters this afternoon."
Although it was the Lunar New Year, there was still a lot to do in the army. As the regimental commander, he also had to spend the holiday with the soldiers below him.
He needs to take advantage of this time in the morning to help with some chores around the house.
Shen Mingzheng got up too early. Gu Xi hadn't had enough sleep yet, so she buried her head in the quilt and continued to sleep until the warmth in the quilt gradually disappeared as Shen Mingzheng left. She had no choice but to get up as well.
Early in the morning, every household was busy, and soon the aroma of food wafted through the air.
The kitchen at Commander Shen's house was also bustling with activity, as they were frying all sorts of meatballs, including meat balls and vegetarian balls, as well as marinated and cooked meat, which they were preparing to fry into braised pork.
Gu Xi had fresh meat on hand, so the pork that Gu Yuanyang brought back, besides the pork stew, was to be made into braised pork in jars and stored so that it could last a long time.
I'll send a portion of the prepared braised pork to Gu Yuanyang and the others to store and eat later.
Early in the morning, Gu Yuanyang also brought Gu Tuantuan over.
Although the child is very obedient and helps her father with chores, Gu Yuanyang knows that the child prefers to play with children older than herself. He thinks that if she comes to her sister's house, Xu Huaisheng will be there to play with her, and she will be happier.
Then Gu Yuanyang also made various kinds of noodles at home, which he would then bring over.
Everyone was busy, and the kitchen was steaming hot, filled with the unique aroma of food. Xu Huaisheng and Gu Tuantuan couldn't help but peek out from time to time to look at the meatballs and chunks of meat rolling in the oil.
Gu Xi, who was in charge of frying the meatballs, picked up the meatballs that weren't too hot with chopsticks and gave one to each person.
The two girls ate until their mouths were covered in oil, and kept saying how delicious it was.
Gu Xi also ate one and nodded in satisfaction, "It tastes good, and it's fried just right."
She also gave one to Xu Yuansheng, who was making dumplings, and then gave one to Shen Mingzheng, asking him, "Big brother, is it delicious?"
Shen Mingzheng is easy to feed and rarely picky about the taste of food; as long as it's edible, he's fine.
Gu Xi still hoped that he could taste different kinds of food. Food can increase people's happiness, so sometimes she really wanted to cook delicious food for him.
Shen Mingzheng nodded with a smile in his eyes, saying, "Delicious."
"Then have another one!" Gu Xi picked up another one for him.
Xu Yuansheng, standing next to her: "..." Seriously, she's still here, why don't you give her one too?
When there weren't many meatballs left to fry, Gu Xi handed the task over to Xu Yuansheng and pulled Shen Mingzheng to put up the couplets.
There's no other reason than that he's the tallest in the family, so he's the most suitable person for this job.
When they went out to put up couplets, they ran into Chief of Staff Gao, who was also putting up couplets next door.
Gao Wenbin and his wife are also spending the Spring Festival in the military this year. The main reason is that their child is too young, and they don't dare to travel around too much. It's better to spend the Spring Festival in the military.
Seeing the couple coming out sweetly to put up the couplets, he greeted them and said to little Gu Tuantuan, who came out with them, "Little Tuantuan, can you help me out? Come and help Uncle check if the couplets are pasted up straight."
Gu Tuantuan loves helping adults with chores, so upon hearing this, she ran over excitedly.
She mimicked Gao Wenbin's movements, her little hands behind her back, and then she gestured with her little hands, "Uncle, it's crooked, it's crooked, a little to the left, a little up... oh no, it needs to be a little to the right, and a little down..."
Gao Wenbin looked at her speechlessly, then patted her head. "Actually, you can't tell left from right and up from down, can you?"
"No way!" Gu Tuantuan loudly defended herself, "I know men are on the left and women on the right, north is up and south is down, left is west and right is east..."
She gestured with her little hands, trying to prove that she could distinguish between left and right and up and down.
Gao Wenbin almost burst out laughing. He quickly pasted the couplets down while saying, "Okay, okay, I got it. Now check if they're right."
Gu Tuantuan looked at it and said with a serious expression, "It's correct!"
Gao Wenbin picked up another couplet and continued to tease the little girl.
Qiao Hui, who was inside, came out when she heard the noise. She saw Gao Wenbin teasing the daughter of the regimental commander in a frivolous manner. The little girl was innocent and unaware that she was being teased by the bad uncle. She was actually helping him check if the sticker was straight. Qiao Hui was speechless and thought that this man was indeed wicked, even bullying such a young child. She couldn't help but glare at him.
Gao Wenbin laughed and said, "Xiao Tuantuan and I are working together perfectly."
Gu Tuantuan grinned, "Aunt Qiao, Uncle Gao pasted it perfectly, don't scold him."
Gao Wenbin: "..."
Qiao Hui suppressed a laugh: "Fine, I won't scold him!" She gave him a mocking look, "See? This is what happens when you bully a child."
Looking at the other side, Shen Mingzheng and Gu Xi were much more efficient, quickly putting up the couplets.
Gu Xi greeted Qiao Hui and asked, "Qiao Hui, Sister Zhu isn't here. Are you managing things here?"
Sister Zhu is a local, so she'll definitely be going home for the New Year; she went back yesterday. Without Sister Zhu around, Qiao Hui and Gao Wenbin will have to take care of the child, and they'll also have to cook the New Year's Eve dinner. I don't know if they'll be able to manage.
Qiao Hui said, "There's not much to do at home. It's just me and Chief of Staff Gao eating, and we eat very simply."
With few people in the family, the New Year was relatively peaceful, and there wasn't much to prepare.
"Would you like to come and have dinner with us?" Gu Xi asked. "My brother and sister-in-law will be coming too, why don't you come as well? It'll be more lively with more people."
The table in her house is big enough that Gao Wenbin and his wife could sit down as well.
“This…” Qiao Hui hesitated and said, “No need, we’ve already cooked for ourselves.”
“It’s alright, bring it over and eat with us.” Gu Xi said again, “Chief of Staff Gao, you’re going to the regimental headquarters later, right? It’s just you and the child at home, why don’t you come over too, so we can all have some fun together.” She turned to Gao Wenbin and said, “Chief of Staff Gao, you should come and eat with us too.”
Gao Wenbin felt that what she said made sense. He was going to the regimental headquarters in the afternoon and might not be back until after dark. It was indeed quite unfair to leave Qiao Hui and the child at home alone and lonely.
Why not come over here next door? It'll be more lively with Gu Xi and her sisters keeping her company.
In the end, Gao Wenbin and his wife both agreed.
After pasting up the couplets, Gu Xi took out a few bowls, lined them with some vegetables and vermicelli, and then put on a large bowl of meatballs, making the bowls look full.
Then she asked Xu Huaisheng and Gu Tuantuan to deliver the food to the neighbors.
That morning, their family also received food from other children, including bowl-shaped steamed buns, sweet cakes, and steamed pork with rice flour...
During holidays and festivals, neighbors would exchange homemade food, which was very heartwarming.
Ye Fenghua personally delivered her family's braised pork to Gu Xi. The bowl was piled high with meat, almost overflowing.
She smiled and said, "This is roast pork my family made, please have a taste! I just got home last night and haven't come over to talk to you yet."
Gu Xi accepted the roasted pork she brought and asked, "Sister-in-law, how's work? Are you tired?"
"It's alright. I work in the kitchen, cooking for everyone. It's actually just like cooking at home. They say my cooking is pretty good, and many people like it." Ye Fenghua was in high spirits and her face was bright. "The higher-ups think I'm doing a good job, and they've already notified me that I'll be officially hired after the New Year and start receiving a permanent salary..."
In just over a month, Ye Fenghua's mental state has undergone a significant change.
She used to be just a housewife without a job, spending her days taking care of the pots and pans, her husband, and her children. She was a dutiful wife and mother, but that was all.
Now that she has a job, she has become more confident and energetic. She walks with a confident stride, speaks with a clear and loud voice, and shows no sign of timidity or inferiority.
Ye Fenghua never married, but after getting married, she cooked for most of her life. Cooking was her specialty, and she could always make dishes that her children could swallow using coarse grains, raising them very well.
So after arriving at the paper mill, among several jobs, she chose to work in the kitchen, which was what she was best at.
You can do better by choosing what you are good at.
At first, Ye Fenghua only did odd jobs in the kitchen, such as washing and chopping vegetables and cleaning. Later, she observed how the chefs cooked, looked for opportunities to show off, and got a job cooking, where she could use her strengths...
She was diligent and capable, never slacking off, and had a good attitude, so she quickly became familiar with everyone in the kitchen.
After working for more than a month, because of her good performance and the fact that she was a military dependent, her superiors took special care of her and decided to make her a permanent employee after the New Year.
The salary after becoming a permanent employee is incomparable to that of a temporary worker, which is undoubtedly a recognition and reward for Ye Fenghua.
She is now incredibly grateful to Gu Xi for giving her this job and for her support.
Ye Fenghua was filled with emotion and couldn't help but tell her what was on her mind: "Actually, before I married Lao Miao, I had an aunt who worked in a textile factory in town. Because she was of retirement age, she wanted to pass on her job to her family. She had been widowed early and had no children. She was quite close to me, so she wanted to give her job to me..."
At this point, her voice became very soft, "But later, because my brother wanted to get married, my sister-in-law's family asked for a high dowry, which my family couldn't afford. So we gave this job to my future sister-in-law to offset the dowry, and only then did she agree to marry into our family..."
Hearing this, Gu Xi understood that this was her unresolved issue.
A girl from the countryside was about to inherit her relative's job at the textile factory, become a city dweller, receive a government-subsidized food ration, and have a respectable job that would elevate her social standing. However, because her older brother was getting married, her family pressured her to give up her job…
How could she possibly accept this?
No wonder Ye Fenghua sometimes spoke of her family in a detached tone, and her expression was somewhat strange when she told Gu Xi that she knew someone at the textile factory.
I see.
Gu Xi smiled and said, "My sister-in-law is working in a factory now, and she's a full-time employee in a factory in the county town, which is better than the factories in the town. There's no need to envy others."
The county seat is much bigger than the town, and the paper mill in the county seat must be a better place to work than the one in the town.
Ye Fenghua's eyes also showed a smile. She rarely talked about these things with others, and she would never have said them if it weren't for Gu Xi.
She said in a relaxed tone, "After they found out I was going to work at the paper mill in the county town, my family has been very kind to me. Last time I went back to buy chickens and ducks, I passed by my parents' house, and they served me tea and water, and even brought me a stool. My sister-in-law even cooked me brown sugar eggs..."
This is the first time I've ever received such treatment in my life.
In the past, when she went back to her parents' home, if she didn't bring anything back, her family would give her the cold shoulder. Her mother also said that she was incompetent, since her husband was a regimental commander and she only brought back so little.
In short, neither side is a good fit.
Now, even if she goes back empty-handed, their attitude has completely changed. They treat her with great care, as if they have to read her mood, and treat her like a distinguished guest in their home.
Ye Fenghua felt very uncomfortable. Their attitude made her quite uneasy, and she always felt that they were up to something bad.
-
After seeing Ye Fenghua off, Gu Xi sighed inwardly.
In fact, cases like Ye Fenghua's are not uncommon, regardless of time or place. Whether it's the preference for sons over daughters or the feeling that married daughters are like water spilled from a cup, lacking a sense of belonging to either their husband's or their own family...
Indeed, only work and making money can make a woman stand tall.
Gu Xi suddenly felt like writing a story about a rural woman born into a family that favored sons over daughters, who learned to read in a literacy class, changed her mindset, worked hard, and eventually became self-taught and contributed to the country's development.
Although the story is old-fashioned, it is very educational.
However, this story will probably be quite long, and I don't know if the publisher will accept it.
In the afternoon, Chief of Staff Gao brought his wife and daughter to Gu Xi's house, along with diapers for his daughter and the New Year's Eve dinner they had prepared.
After bringing the mother and daughter over, the men went to the regimental headquarters.
"Aunt Qiao, Aunt Qiao, I want to see my little sister!" Gu Tuantuan stood on tiptoe and tried to peek out.
Qiao Hui lowered the child so the little girl could see him.
The baby was wrapped up tightly and sleeping soundly. The change of environment did not affect her sleep. She was wearing a bright red onesie made by Xu Yuansheng, which made her little face look rosy and her chubby little face was especially cute.
Xu Huaisheng looked on with a bit of envy and said, "Sister Qiao, let me help you hold your little sister."
The two families often visited each other. Xu Huaisheng and her sister would often go next door to play. Qiao Hui knew that they both had children, so she entrusted her child to Xu Huaisheng with peace of mind and then went to the kitchen to help.
In the kitchen, Gu Xi and Xu Yuansheng were preparing to make dumplings.
Today, three families are eating together, so I need to make a lot of dumplings. I've already started simmering bone broth in the pot, and I'll use that broth to make a stew. We'll put it on the stove and eat it while it cooks, and then add the dumplings to the stew to cook together. That way, I won't have to worry about the food freezing into ice crystals before everyone is full.
The three of them chatted as they worked.
Gu Xi told Qiao Hui the outline of the story she was going to write and asked her what she thought of the story.
“Sure!” Qiao Hui nodded in approval. “Write boldly, and I’ll take a look at it for you. If there are no problems, I’ll send it over. This story fits the great man’s saying that women can hold up half the sky. I believe the publisher will accept it.”
Relieved by her affirmation, Gu Xi then explained why she wrote the story.
She omitted what Ye Fenghua had said earlier, only saying that she saw a difference in Ye's demeanor after she got a job, and that's why she wanted to write this story.
Qiao Hui's eyes brightened slightly, and she nodded, saying, "You're right. Women still need to have a job. They'll become more confident when they earn their own money. I've always believed that."
This is a lesson her grandmother and mother taught her, and she has always kept it in mind.
The same reason she was unwilling to follow Gao Wenbin to the military after their marriage was that she didn't want to give up her job at the publishing house easily. She was also glad that she didn't come to the military after marriage, but stayed at the publishing house for many years before coming here at the beginning of the year.
Over the years, her work experience and knowledge gained at the publishing house have become important connections and a source of confidence for her.
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