Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Winter Vegetables
"Well, what about the industrial tickets? I hope we don't run out of them."
"The tickets I gave you were the rest of what I had on me at the time. I have some more in my little cabinet at home. I'll leave them to you. You can buy whatever you want."
Lu Qinghe didn't bother to be polite with him. "Then let's go out early tomorrow morning to see if there's anything we need to buy. What about you? Do you want to ask for leave?"
"We still have half a day to settle in." "Okay."
The noodle soup on the stove was ready, and Lu Qinghe generously beat in all four eggs that Zhao Zhanming had left over.
Not to mention Zhao Zimo, the three little ones all need nutrition. These days, the cheapest and most effective way is to eat eggs.
"There are only four left, or you can give us one each." Lu Qinghe stirred the poached eggs in the pot. "Buy more tomorrow. There are a lot of people in the family and we eat a lot. Look at how skinny the children are. I'll stir-fry some potatoes and meat later. I'll save the fat from the meat for the vermicelli stew tomorrow for lunch."
"You're thin too." Zhao Zhanming's eyes fell on Lu Qinghe's slender wrist. "This is the first time I've seen you think like this. Don't worry about what you eat and drink in the future. I have the money, which is enough to support the family."
That's for sure, she had no intention of thinking about it carefully at all.
While Lu Qinghe was processing a small piece of pork he had just bought, Zhao Zhanming was also busy beside him, deftly cutting the peeled potatoes into thin slices.
"My craftsmanship is okay."
"I used to live on my own, and later I brought Zhao Zimo with me. How could I have survived without knowing how to cook?"
Lu Qinghe was quite pleased, "That's great, this way we can be a man-woman team, and the work won't be tiring."
The corners of Zhao Zhanming's mouth curled up slightly, and he wordlessly took the initiative to take over the remaining task of stir-frying shredded radish.
Although the family has enough money, even small supplies like a needle are in short supply. The military family compound is given priority in supplies, but many things still have to be bought in advance. Just like today, Lu Qinghe went to buy vegetables in the evening, so there were not many things left.
While eating, the children stared at the three dishes and one soup on the table with their eyes wide open.
"Mom is so awesome!!" Lu Yao gave a lot of emotional value. She shouted and started eating voraciously.
The same went for Lu Yang and Zhao Zirui. Even Zhao Zimo ate three steamed buns with the dishes in silence.
This frightened Lu Qinghe quite a bit. After dinner, she went to Zhao Zhanming and asked, "Will you have trouble digesting all this food?"
"You eat a lot at your age. I could even finish a whole plate of steamed buns back then."
Lu Qinghe finally breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "I saw some buckets in the supply and marketing cooperative. Are they selling fish again?"
"Yes, Huashi is next to the Black River, with plenty of water, so there are fish sellers all year round."
"Then buy one tomorrow and make some soup."
"good."
Not only for the children, but also for yourself.
Lu Qinghe's health was not very good to begin with, and he had been working and going to Hua City these days. Even with Zhao Zhanming's help, it would take the two of them several days to clean up the house.
To love someone, you must first love yourself, so she must take good care of her body.
After they had almost finished cleaning up, Lu Qinghe took the children to wash up, while Zhao Zhanming closed the bedroom door and called Zhao Zimo in.
"The new dad won't hit anyone, right?" Lu Yang took another look out of curiosity.
Zhao Zirui was a little scared and shrank his neck. "I saw my father beat my second uncle. He beat him so hard that he cried and begged for mercy. It was scary."
"Ah? So scary?!"
Lu Yao exclaimed and grabbed her mother's hand.
The door to the inner room suddenly opened, and Zhao Zhanming, who was being teased by several children, was seen explaining with a speechless face, "I didn't do anything, Zirui. Your second uncle made a big mistake. I won't hit anyone casually."
He had finally built up some affinity, but his good son made people scared with just a few words.
Lu Qinghe smiled and nodded, "I know, I know. I haven't even started to explain it to you yet."
"I'm afraid you might feel the same way..."
"No, you are quite reasonable."
"Um."
The door to the inner room closed, and Lu Qinghe couldn't help laughing again. He turned around and rubbed the children's heads, "Don't worry, our family practices winning people over with virtue. As long as you behave and don't make trouble, you won't be beaten."
In the inner room, Zhao Zimo looked down at the ground with a stubborn look on his face.
"Dad, you heard her. She said to win people over with virtue. You can't do anything."
"I won't do it, you do it yourself."
Zhao Zhanming's expression paled considerably. "Stand for half an hour as punishment. Starting tomorrow morning, you'll have a week of intensive training. Two sets of push-ups and two sets of abdominal rotations every morning."
"……oh."
"Oh what? Don't act like you're feeling aggrieved. I know exactly how capable you are. This is just a small punishment for you."
"Didn't I say hello to them later?"
Zhao Zhanming's brows furrowed. "Do you really think it's just for this? Do you want me to tell you or do you want to admit it honestly?"
"Grandpa Feng told you?"
"Yeah." Zhao Zhanming's face darkened, and his tone was very stern. "It's okay if you act up normally, but this time you even skipped class. If I catch you again, I won't let it go so easily. Remember that?"
"I remember."
Lu Qinghe also heard Zhao Zhanming mention this matter, but after all, he was not a good representative, so he did not tell the younger ones, and also wanted to save face for Zhao Zimo.
At night, Zhao Zhanming slept on the floor, and the family spent the night like this. Others didn't know that Lu Qinghe was sleeping soundly.
The next day, Zhao Zhanming went out early in the morning and bought a basket of eggs. They had breakfast together, borrowed a jeep, and drove towards the city with Lu Qinghe and the three children.
"Is it really okay without Zimo?" Lu Qinghe asked worriedly on the way.
"He's missed a lot of classes. If he doesn't make up for it, he'll be embarrassed at the parent-teacher conference for the midterm exam. I told him about it in advance, but he didn't want to come."
"Then bring him some food when you go back."
"Let's see."
The military family compound is well-equipped, but you still have to go into the city to buy daily necessities.
They first went to a carpenter's shop to order a few chairs, and then went to a large home furnishing mall and picked out two sets of sofas with artificial leather and sponge cushions. The sofas were a bit expensive, but Lu Qinghe felt that they were comfortable to sit on. Seeing that she took a few more glances, Zhao Zhanming did not hesitate to order them from the boss.
"Buy a bottle of vanishing cream. It's dry weather and you'll need it a lot."
"Buy two more of these enamel basins. I want to use one for myself."
"Is there any needle and thread at home?"
"Several children will definitely need to go to school. They need pencils and knives, and three sets of notebooks."
“…”
After walking around the department store, Lu Qinghe wanted to look at everything. When they came out, both of them had their hands full.
Lu Qinghe looked back, her face flushed, "How come I bought so much without realizing it?"
Zhao Zhanming: "They are all things you can use in daily life. Just buy them. See if you need anything else. If you don't need anything, go to the next station and I'll make winter clothes for you and the children."
"Then let's go."
Speaking of clothes, Lu Qinghe became interested again.
Shopping is a woman's eternal hobby.
And there was also Zhao Zhanming following behind to pay, which felt really good.
However, she did not dare to spend money recklessly. There was surplus food at home, and she could not help but spend it lavishly. It was just because it was her first time in Hua City that she bought a little more.
Lu Qinghe had picked out the fabric and weighed the cotton. He just had to wait until he got back to hand it over to the tailoring team in the military family compound to make clothes. The last stop was finally the carpenter's shop that sold beds.
Lu Qinghe: "There are two beds at home, one large and one small. The small one will be for Lu Yao to sleep in alone, and the other two will have one for Lu Yang and Zhao Zirui, and one for Zhao Zimo. How about that?"
Zhao Zhanming thought for a moment, then lowered his head when he saw the children running in front of the store. "The big bed at home is for Zhao Zimo. It's for the two of us. We'll buy new ones after we get married."
Lu Qinghe was stunned and his face felt a little hot.
It’s not that I’m embarrassed, it’s mainly because I didn’t expect Zhao Zhanming to bring up this matter on his own initiative.
She just deliberately missed the point, thinking that she would tell Lu Yao that she couldn't live without her and that she would sleep with Lu Yao at night, but she didn't expect Zhao Zhanming to say it first.
So, even if a man is not capable, he still needs to save face, right?
Lu Qinghe thought Zhao Zhanming was afraid of gossip, so she nodded and agreed to buy a new bed.
As a mother of two, she chose a bunk bed with a ladder step. The king bed was custom-made to be 1.8 meters wide on the recommendation of the parents.
After buying everything I needed and having lunch, I went home.
Aside from the custom sofas, which took time to get made, the other furniture arrived before dusk. The two beds, in particular, were so conspicuous when they arrived that several nearby families popped their heads out to take a look. "Zhao Zhanming, isn't this a bit too conspicuous?"
"When their family first got married and moved in, it was always like this. You'll understand after you stay here for a while."
"That's good."
Lu Qinghe looked at the bed that had to be put sideways to fit into the room, touched his nose, turned his head and said nothing more.
The little girl Lu Yao was extremely happy. "Don't we have to squeeze together to sleep at night? Mom, can I have my own bed then?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the neighbor aunties who were watching the fun all laughed.
"..." Lu Qinghe carried her daughter into the yard speechlessly, "Lu Yao wants to sleep alone, aren't you afraid?"
"I'm a super brave police officer. I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid of anything. But Lu Yang seems a little scared."
Lu Qinghe looked over and saw Lu Yang, clutching his trouser legs in a daze. "Mom, I'm not afraid!"
She was just about to say that it was okay and she could stay with him for a few more days to get used to it, but Zhao Zhanming spoke first.
Zhao Zhanming: "Zi Rui has never slept alone before. If you two stay in the same room, you won't be so scared because you have each other as companions."
Zhao Zirui nodded immediately: "Yes, I am a little man, Brother Lu Yang, I will protect you at night!"
Lu Yao snorted disdainfully, "Lu Yang, you are so useless that you still need your brother to protect you."
"..." Lu Yang was provoked by the words, gritted his teeth and stood up, "Humph, I'm not afraid, Mom, don't worry, I will be fine tonight."
Lu Qinghe: “…”
You two are fine, what about her?
After avoiding the issue of sleeping in the same room for several times, the moment finally came when I had to face it.
But the question is, how can she save face for Zhao Zhanming while ensuring that her self-esteem is not hurt?
You have to know that Zhao Zhanming is currently her best choice in her opinion.
Whether it's his overall qualities or the contributions he can make to his family, it's no problem to give him an 80.
What if he doesn't do this well and feels embarrassed?
Lu Qinghe doesn't want to act in bed...
Forget it, let's take it one step at a time. Zhao Zhanming is a good person, and she doesn't mind him. If there is really no other way, she can just talk it out.
After noon, people from the military family area service team came over to help move everything that needed to be moved, and the whole house finally looked like a home.
"Is Qinghe at home, sister Qinghe——"
“Here I come!”
Yesterday, he had made an appointment with Han Xueqin to go together to complete the enrollment procedures for his child. When he heard her calling him from outside, Lu Qinghe stood up, found his organizational relationship and file book, and prepared to go out.
Zhao Zhanming also changed into military training clothes and prepared to go out.
"The household registration procedures have been completed. From now on, both your child and you will be registered in Hua City. If there are any problems with the school, please have them contact me. I'll buy the fish when I come back tonight."
"Got it. See you tonight. I'll wait for you at home."
Zhao Zhanming's hands faltered as he buttoned his shirt, then he nodded. "Okay, see you tonight."
He left home to join the army at the age of eighteen, and it seemed that in all these years, no one had ever told him that there was someone waiting for him at home.
This feeling...
It’s very strange, yet it makes people nostalgic.
With a burning heart, Zhao Zhanming went to the army.
On the other side, Lu Qinghe went out immediately afterwards, but did not see Han Xueqin who had just called her outside the door.
On the contrary, on the road where there were usually no people, suddenly there were a lot of people running towards the collection point.
After watching for a few minutes, Lu Qinghe was curious and wanted to follow, but Han Xueqin, who had just gone out and turned back home to get the food book, came down from upstairs with a large sack in her hand. As she passed by Lu Qinghe, she waved to him from a distance.
"The cabbage truck is here. Sister Qinghe, hurry home and find your food coupons. If you're late, we won't be able to get in line. I'll go first. Once I buy some, I'll go to the kindergarten to handle the paperwork for my child!"
The northwest wind blew away Han Xueqin's words.
Lu Qinghe realized it belatedly and turned back home to find the food supplement book, and followed with it in his pocket.
I saw that almost every household had arrived, and there were two long queues in front of the collection point. In addition to their residential area, people from farther away had also arrived.
Lu Qinghe followed the crowd and found a place to queue.
"How much cabbage will your family stock up this year?"
"It should be at least 500 kilograms."
"Isn't that enough? Last year we saved 500 kilograms, but it wasn't enough to eat later. This year we have to get 600 kilograms no matter what."
"If we can buy potatoes and radishes, that would be enough. There are six people in my family, not as many as yours."
“…”
Everyone around was discussing the topic of storing vegetables for the winter. Lu Qinghe crossed her arms and listened attentively, trying to gain some experience for herself.
In the winter in the north, green vegetable leaves are sometimes harder to find than meat.
In order to have that dish, almost every household would store hundreds of kilograms of cabbage in advance, pickle it or keep it in the cellar to fry and eat fresh.
There are also many people who dry some vegetables every day, such as dried radish, dried beans, eggplant, mushrooms, etc.
In addition, there are potatoes and pumpkins that can be stored for a long time, so when the source of vegetables is completely gone, you can have something to eat without leaving home.
"Half of the truck has been unloaded today. The remaining people are limited to buying 20 kilograms. There is no more."
After a while, someone in the truck in front shouted.
Now many people are making a fuss, but it’s useless to make a fuss, as the purchase restrictions must still be imposed.
"Don't make a fuss, we'll be delivering again at this time in the next few days. Today's the first truckload this year, so it's considered a small number. We'll have two truckloads coming every day from now on."
That’s what they say, but even if it’s delivered every day, there are always families who don’t have enough to eat, so they have to come early to queue up.
Lu Qinghe glanced ahead and found that there were more than twenty people in front of him.
"You are from Captain Zhao's family, right?"
Suddenly, a young woman waved to Lu Qinghe from three or five people ahead.
"I live next door to you. My name is Yu Lili. My husband is also stationed at the 115th Regiment. He's Lao Zhuang of the Military Cavalry Company. I didn't see him yesterday, and today, seeing you guys transporting things home in such a grand manner, I didn't dare to disturb you."
Yu Lili's voice was quite loud, and after hearing the second half of the sentence, many people looked towards Lu Qinghe.
Lu Qinghe thought to herself and smiled faintly: "Hello, my name is Lu Qinghe. It's not as exaggerated as you say. I just came to join the army. I don't even have a bed at home, so I brought back a wooden bed. The rest are small things like benches. If I knew you were here, I would definitely come over to say hello."
Yu Lili also smiled: "How is it? Is the new house ready?"
"Almost."
"Then I'll come talk to you when I'm free. We'll be neighbors from now on, so let's visit each other more often."
"That's natural."
Yu Lili glanced forward again and said, "You guys just came yesterday, right? There must not be enough food at home. How about this, let me switch seats with you. If you come to my place, you can get in line earlier and buy more."
It sounds like Yu Lili is a kind-hearted person.
But why didn't she speak up before the purchase restriction was imposed?
This is a good thing. If Lu Qinghe really nodded in a confused manner, she would have to do her a favor.
Lu Qinghe quickly waved her hands, "Don't make it special, it's all the same now. Didn't we just say the purchase limit is 20 kilograms?"
"Look at my brain, I almost forgot. Fine, then let's go back and move it back together. Look at your physique, I can give you a hand."
Lu Qinghe did not have much fondness for Lili's sudden enthusiasm. Instead, she always felt that Yu Lili's words and actions had a strong purpose.
"I've made an appointment with other people, so you can go first."
"Who is it? Someone from our neighborhood?" Yu Lili couldn't wait to ask, but she felt a little embarrassed. "Ahem, I'm not very educated and I speak bluntly."
"That's Director Ding's wife, Sister Han, who's in the back. We'll go back together later."
"Sister-in-law Han? Oh, I didn't even know she was coming. When did it happen?"
"...Yesterday, we happened to meet on the road."
Lu Qinghe frowned, "Yu Lili, it's your turn, don't bump into me..."
Before she finished her words, Yu Lili followed the crowd forward, but her head was so focused on talking to Lu Qinghe that she bumped her forehead against the car board without paying attention.
Yu Lili cried out in pain and made a face with a frown, which made many people laugh out loud.
"Isn't this Yu Lili? She's very scheming and loves to get close to the leaders' families."
"Shh, keep your voice down, he's quite popular..."
Yu Lili's forehead was slightly swollen and her cheeks were red. She picked up the sack and filled it with her own cabbage. She said hello to Lu Qinghe with a shy look and hurried home.
It was Lu Qinghe's turn. Lu Qinghe took out her food booklet and someone stamped it before putting her cabbage into the bag.
Twenty kilograms of cabbage only have three or four heads, which is not enough to eat for a few days. The people who came later bought some and left while mumbling and complaining.
When Lu Qinghe passed by on his way back, he met Han Xueqin who was late.
"You see, it's winter and vegetables are in short supply. What do you think about yesterday's matter?" Lu Qinghe nodded: "My husband Zhao also said it's okay, but we need to ask for the channel."
Han Xueqin smiled and patted Lu Qinghe's shoulder. "Don't worry, sister. My husband, Lao Ding, has been working in logistics for many years and knows many farmers who deliver vegetables nearby. Some farmers, in order to make more money, will keep a portion of their produce and sell it in small batches. In previous years, many people bought it, so there won't be any problems."
"We trust Director Ding's character, but we need to ask him clearly to feel at ease. Sister-in-law Han, I'll give you the industrial ticket later."
"Okay, just list all the dishes you need and I'll call you to get them when the time comes."
After the discussion, the two were about to find an alley to trade when they saw a young woman in bright red clothes walking straight towards them.
This is a lesbian who looks very good at dressing up. She has her eyebrows drawn and lipstick on, and speaks with a southern accent.
"Sister-in-law Han, I've been looking for you for a long time. Why didn't you say hello to me when you came back?"
"This is Jin Manqing, the wife of Section Chief Zhou from the Organization Department." Han Xueqin introduced them to each other.
Jin Manqing glanced at Lu Qinghe and said, "I've heard of you. You're from the same place as Captain Zhao, right? My hometown is in Shanghai, and we're about the same age. You can just call me by my name."
Lu Qinghe responded casually, and Jin Manqing then pulled Han Xueqin aside and whispered a few words to her before walking away leisurely with his arms folded.
"Besides, why are you pretending to be a lady from a wealthy family? If you have the guts, just let your man transfer to Shanghai. He still has to live with us in the staff quarters."
As soon as she left, Han Xueqin rolled her eyes and said, "She also asked me to order vegetables. Humph, when the time comes, I will definitely prioritize our two families."
Lu Qinghe smiled and thanked him, then suddenly remembered something.
"Sister-in-law, why are there still cavalry companies? Aren't the company commander's family members not allowed to accompany the troops?"
Han Xueqin understood immediately, "You're talking about Yu Lili's family. Her family's old farm is a cavalry company directly under the military headquarters. Their company commander is a lieutenant colonel. You don't know that Hua City is very cold in the winter. After a heavy snowfall, the transportation network is inconvenient, so they rely on the cavalry company. Moreover, our military region has always had a cavalry company designation, and they use Inner Mongolian ponies, which are very useful."
"Sister, if you have any questions in the future, just come and ask me. There's nothing I don't know about this military dependents' compound. Isn't there a young man next door to your house? He's a communications engineer. I heard he has a high degree, but don't get too close to him. Our relationship with the Russians has been strained in the past two years. He used to study there..."
Along the way, Han Xueqin talked about a lot of science and gossip with Lu Qinghe, and Lu Qinghe listened with great interest. When they got home, he quickly gave Sister Han two mint candies to moisten her throat.
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