Chapter 40

Northeastern Stew

I prepared clothes for the three children at midnight.

Nie Weimin had his trousers ironed and stretched last night. In the morning he still felt they were not stretched enough, so he turned on the iron and ironed them himself.

But this child is careful in everything he does, so Chen Lina doesn't worry about him. He is stable and knows what he is doing.

Only after putting all the children in the car and fastening their seat belts could Chen Lina rush back to clean herself up.

"Dad, why hasn't my mom come out yet?" As he waited, Nie Weimin became anxious.

Nie Bozhao was still wearing his Liberation suit, black-framed glasses, and a Parker pen in his pen bag, a typical intellectual. "It's always more troublesome for women to go out. Let's wait."

After waiting for ten minutes, Erdan saw Qian Gou'er rushing out of the car window like a little cannon ball, shouting something and running away like a gust of wind.

"Dad, it must be the projection team. They're probably going to show a movie. I want to go and see."

"The movie won't be shown until the evening. What's good to watch now? Stay put."

"Dad, I want to drink water." Sandaner shouted again.

"When we get to Umay, there's soda at uncle's house. Be patient." He procrastinated. The appointment was for noon, and if he procrastinated any further, it would be afternoon by the time he arrived in Umay.

"She finally came out." Nie Weimin almost jumped up with joy, but then sat back down sullenly and whispered, "Dad, you know what, my mom is actually quite pretty."

"You always call her Mom in front of Dad, why not in front of her?" Nie Bozhao thought his son was funny.

Nie Weimin blushed and stopped talking.

She was wearing a khaki jacket with a turndown collar, and underneath was a cardigan she had knitted herself, and underneath the cardigan was a really cool floral shirt. In fact, if you look closely, you can tell that the shirt was altered from Nie Bozhao's work shirt. I don't know how her hair was permed, it was in big curls.

But she tied it up again, wearing the same khaki pants underneath, but they were not as bulky as other people's big cotton pants, and they looked clean and refreshing. In four words, smart and beautiful.

"You'll feel proud to go out with a mother like this, right?" Nie Bozhao teased Nie Weimin with a smile. The little guy blushed and turned to look out the window.

The first to arrive was Secretary Ah’s house.

Secretary Ah's house was a standard two-bedroom, two-living room house, with an old man and a young girl, and the living room was filled with beds. Sandan was a fool at that time, and he didn't understand anything. He held a big orange in his hand and ran to the bedroom.

Nie Weimin couldn't hold him out, so Chen Lina went in to hold him herself, only to find an old lady with white hair sitting in the bedroom. All her teeth had fallen out and one hand seemed to be missing. She was curled up and touching the child. Sandan looked at her hand with only two fingers left curiously.

"This is my grandma, she is 98 years old this year, she is healthy." Secretary A's relative is not old, but very fat, her name is also very interesting, A Lai. A Lai said with a smile.

Chen Lina sighed, "The housing situation is quite tight."

"My great-grandmother slept with the children, my mother-in-law and I slept in one room, and the men slept outside." Alai sighed, "Compared to that, I would rather live in the base, at least I can turn over at night."

In those days, houses had not yet been built in large numbers, but at least every household in the countryside had a big kang (a bed with a heatable bed in the bed). In the city, there were cases where ten people were squeezed into a small bedroom of eight square meters. Chen Lina had experienced this.

The gifts she brought were a scarf she had knitted herself and a small pure wool vest.

Although the items were ordinary, the colorful threads used were very beautiful. To be honest, if it was fruits and vegetables, or a fat sheep, Alai would refuse them. There were too many cases of people giving gifts to him when they were guests, and then reporting them for corruption and bribery.

But once she saw the beautiful floral scarf, she couldn't bear to let it go.

He immediately wrapped it around his neck and ran out to ask Secretary Ah whether the scarf knitted by Xiao Chen was nice-looking.

They sat there until noon and had a meal at Secretary A's house. The three children filled their pockets with fried dough sticks, candies, peanuts and melon seeds stuffed by Aunt A Lai, and then it was time to go to District Chief Gao's house.

Nie Weimin filled two pockets, but ate very little. Erdan'er's mouth never stopped eating, but his pockets were empty.

"I really want to visit relatives every day, Dad. Do we have any relatives to visit tomorrow?" Erdan asked.

Nie Weimin saw that his mouth was covered with candy, and he wiped it with his hand in disgust. "If you keep getting so dirty, we will kick you out of the car and throw you into the desert to feed the wolves. Forget about your relatives."

"District Chief Gao's wife, He Lanshan, is the director of our mining area's oil refinery. She graduated from Harbin Institute of Technology and is a typical strong woman. It turns out that she has a good relationship with... Wei Min's mother. When we get here, don't say anything. Let's sit down, have dinner and then leave. What do you think?" Nie Bozhao said when they arrived downstairs at Secretary Gao's house.

There is only one Shanghai brand car downstairs, and it belongs to District Chief Gao.

Chen Lina made a sudden dash and turned the car around. The children in the car only saw the car stop in the blink of an eye.

"So this is a banquet for me? Lao Nie, Lao Nie, you are not like this before. You are gentle and considerate, and you will consider everything for me."

"After all, District Chief Gao is our superior, so we still have to visit each other. I'm not afraid that you won't come."

"So you're asking me to fight a battle I'm not sure of winning?" Chen Lina gently brushed her hair that had been ironed. "If you had told me earlier, I would have dressed more beautifully."

"You are already very beautiful. I should say that there is no one in Umayyad who is more beautiful than you, more..." Nie Bozhao didn't know how to describe it, so he used the words of Harbin Institute of Technology, "You are Awarguli."

If she had permed her hair like this in mainland China, she would certainly be regarded as having a corrupt mind.

However, the border is full of foreigners with naturally curly hair, so of course they are more relaxed in this regard.

The sound of car engines was still rare. As soon as we heard the sound of an engine, District Chief Gao came out to greet us. His house was on the first floor, also with two bedrooms and two living rooms. Because he was transferred from the Daqing Oilfield, there were no elderly people, just a couple and a daughter.

"Hello, Comrade Xiao Chen."

"Hello, Secretary Gao. I made a fool of myself last time. This time I have come specially to apologize." Chen Lina said, extending her hand.

A beauty like her is used to men's shock and the amazement in their eyes, but she is a little regretful that her hair, which she permed by herself, was not perfect enough.

Inside the window with a big wedding character pasted on it, He Lanshan, the director of the oil refinery in the mining area, and Sun Ainan, the wife of Wang Fusheng, the head of the personnel department, were busy in the kitchen frying, steaming and stir-frying.

The hairtail has just been fried, and the meatballs need to be fried too. The vermicelli is soaked until it is shiny, and the chopped chicken is bubbling in another pot. The beehive coal stove is never idle for a moment.

However, all of this was done by Sun Ainan.

She was very skillful and hardworking, and she took care of everything by herself, so Director He could only stand by and watch.

"My second sister just misread the mining district's document and distributed 2 kilograms of flour instead of 20 kilograms. She has already distributed the remaining amount. Director He, please persuade Secretary Gao later not to hold my second sister accountable, okay?" Sun Ainan said.

He Lanshan criticized her seriously, "Ainan, let me say that your second sister is a bit of a snob in this regard. If it weren't for the face of Sun Gong and Nie Gong, we really wouldn't have appointed her as a warehouse keeper. Let's forget it this time, but don't make it a precedent next time."

Well, it was a big corruption case, and the educated youth were the leaders who caused trouble in the mining area. They should have been severely punished, but among the leaders' families, they just asked for back pay and begged for leniency. Wasn't that the crisis resolved with just a few words?

Sun Ainan was used to currying favor with people, so he quickly said, "My second sister promises that this will not happen again. She promises to work hard in the future. Director He, don't worry."

"This new lover that Engineer Nie found is pretty good. That khaki suit is so beautiful. I wonder who made it for her." Director He glanced out the window and saw Chen Lina at a glance.

Sun Ai'nan stood on tiptoe and took a look. It was a khaki little liberation suit. He didn't know how she had it cut, but it was slim and thoughtful.

What's more important is that her clothes are the most fashionable military style nowadays, and there is nothing wrong with them.

"Director He, have you ever asked your husband, Mr. Gao, if there is really no problem with Chen Lina's background?"

"How could I not ask? I asked, but he said there was really no problem, three generations of poverty." This was actually an ambiguous statement. From Chen Lina onwards, it was indeed three generations of poverty, and the old lady was the fourth generation.

"I really don't want her to take care of three children. My mother said that she has gotten so used to Dadan that she even dares to hit old people." Sun Ainan spared no effort to spoil Chen Lina's water in front of the leader.

"Okay, everyone is here. Can you family members stop talking about other people's situations?" District Chief Gao was the first to enter the room and he glared at Factory Director He.

Director He gave a look and Sun Ainan stopped talking.

Moreover, Sun Ainan did not come out of the kitchen. She was just like an old mother in the old society, observing Chen Lina in the kitchen.

"Hello, Director." Chen Lina walked in, took off her gloves and shook hands. She also taught the three children to "call uncle, call aunt."

Nie Weimin and Erdan greeted "Auntie" together, which was quite polite.

"These are two little marines. Not bad, not bad, very handsome. Xiaobing is doing homework in the bedroom. Let's go in and play together." Director He said.

Gao Xiaobing, the only daughter of District Chief Gao and his wife, will be a real rich and beautiful woman in the future. It seems that Nie Weimin has a good relationship with this sister Gao, so he ran away with Erdan.

"Congratulations, Director. We live in the base and don't have much good stuff. This is a small suspender skirt I made myself using the khaki cloth given by our mine. I don't know if it will fit Xiaobing's height. She should be eight years old this year, right?"

The most popular thing now is the overalls skirt. Director He took it and it was the same khaki dress as the one Chen Lina was wearing. The overalls were really pretty.

But for Gao Xiaobing now, it still looks a little big.

Then, she handed over a cloth bag and said, "I fried the fried dough sticks myself. I didn't add mutton fat. You can taste it."

People from other places always have trouble getting used to the smell, like Director He. Their small stove in the city can't support the frying of crispy oil fruit, and the ones sold outside are all fried with sheep fat. He picked up one and tasted it. It was crispy and crunchy, and it was obvious that there was a lot of chicken meringue in it. Director He immediately gave a thumbs up and said, "It's delicious. Xiao Chen's fried oil fruit is really authentic."

Sun Ainan rushed to receive the gifts, ready to report to Chen Lina if she saw her giving her any extravagant capitalist items. Hey, fried fruits and a skirt that was cut directly according to a military uniform. How could she report this?

A pot of chicken stewed with mushrooms, cabbage, vermicelli and pork ribs, a standard Northeastern meal is served.

Several children who were playing were called out from the bedroom. Nie Weimin was sweating profusely as Gao Xiaobing chased him and hit him with a pillow. He hid behind Chen Lina and kept shouting, "My mother is here to protect me. You can't hit me, you can't hit me."

As soon as everyone sat down, Sun Ainan also came to the table.

"Erdan, where are your manners? Why don't you even say hello when you meet your aunt?" Well, this was the only fault that Sun Ainan found.

"Yes, Erdan, this is your third aunt. She brought you to my house as a visitor when you were a child." Director He also said.

Erdan shook his head and said, "I don't know him."

"Xiao Chen, since you are their mother, you should at least teach them some manners. I am their third aunt, how can the children not even call me aunt?" Sun Ainan started to vent his anger on Chen Lina. Of course, he also wanted to stir up some trouble under the nose of Director He.

Chen Lina didn't even raise her eyelids and said coldly, "There are so many kidnappers nowadays. If everyone claims to be my son's aunt or relative, can they take the child away without my approval?"

She is also vicious. She directly used the day lily to snatch the child to shut Sun Ai'nan up.

Of course, District Chief Gao had seen the diary and knew that Sun Ainan wanted the Nie family's child and was determined to get him.

"Ainan, I, Nie Bozhao, will not give my children to anyone. It is true that you are their aunt, but please persuade Aunt Sun not to do such things as suddenly breaking into the base to snatch children again. Otherwise, I will report directly to the security team." Nie Bozhao was not polite.

"Brother-in-law, my mother wants to go and see the child. That's right, it's my sister's child."

"Are you looking after the children or wanting to take them away? Ainan, you should know better than me. We are all relatives, do you really have to force me to take the children away?"

You know, not only the Frontier Oilfield, but also Daqing has been offering olive branches to Nie Bozhao, hoping that he can move the laboratory there. In a hurry, Nie Bozhao really considered moving.

But when he wanted to move, District Chief Gao couldn't sit still. If such a talent left, wouldn't the base be ruined?

"Well, Comrade Xiaosun, you guys must be very busy at home, so I won't leave any dinner for you, okay?" said District Chief Gao.

Sun Ainan had been cooking for half a day, but he still hadn't sat down yet. He looked at Sandan, who originally belonged to him, sitting obediently in Chen Lina's arms.

Sometimes she said Mom wanted this, sometimes she said Mom wanted that. She was so angry that her head hurt. She wanted to sit there for a while, but no one paid any attention to her, so she just left.

Director He originally had a good relationship with Sun Zhuanan because they were both strong women and had common topics to talk about. Of course, since there was no interest involved, there was no partiality from the Sun family.

After a quick look, she found that the three children were all dressed neatly, especially Nie Weimin and Erdan, who looked much more polite. The third child was only one and a half years old when he left last year, but now he has a chubby face. It was obvious that Chen Lina did not let the children down.

She conquered people with her real ability, so she psychologically accepted Chen Lina first.

After dinner, Nie Weimin and Erdan went to play with Gao Xiaobing again. The adults sat together to eat and chat. Secretary Gao said half-jokingly, "Comrade Xiao Chen is a college student. It's not enough to just take care of children. You have to contribute to our base. How about it? Is there a position in the entire mining area that you are interested in?"

Arranging jobs for knowledgeable family members can not only stabilize the morale of the troops, but also attract talents, which is really the best of both worlds.

Chen Lina smiled and sat up straight, took a deep breath, and said, "It's really boring to stay at the base all the time and stay at home without working. The worker suggested that I become the director of Mulan Farm. Although I know I am young and weak, I want to give it a try, and also contribute to the construction of our base."

These words frightened Nie Bozhao so much that he almost jumped up.

When did he suggest to her that she become the manager of Mulan Farm?

"Oh, Xiao Chen, what major did you study in college? And you only went to college for one year. I'm afraid you can't get the position of farm manager. You are too young. But a teaching job is very suitable for you." District Chief Gao said directly without any ambiguity.

"So, District Chief Gao, what do you think of the current production scale of our Mulan Farm?"

District Chief Gao immediately shook his head and said, "No, compared to those construction corps, our output is really far behind. In addition to being self-sufficient, the grain that their corps farms pay to the country is enough to feed most of the republic. But I don't know what happened to our Mulan Farm. The cotton harvest was poor and it was not enough to supply the mining area. We had to pay to buy cotton to ensure people's livelihood. Growing wheat also suffered. Last year, the wheat produced by the farm was only enough to supply Base No. 1 and Base No. 2. The rice and noodles we eat were still transferred from the 719 Corps Farm by me."

“Do you think it was a natural disaster or a man-made disaster?”

"It can't be called a natural disaster or a man-made disaster. Our farm is not large, and it is not under militarized management. We can't mobilize the enthusiasm of the educated youth and workers."

Chen Lina said, "I am studying biological science at the Women's Normal University. In the biological science department, our homework, in addition to animal science, is plant science. A few days ago, I went to the farm and found that the cotton seeds in our farm are still the oldest Zhongmian No. 2, and the wheat is still the oldest Xindong No. 2. In the farms of the Construction Corps, they planted Zhongmian No. 11 cotton and Xindong No. 7 wheat.

Whether it is cotton plant growth and frost resistance or wheat disease resistance, we are already far behind, so how can we possibly be better than others?"

District Chief Gao was just lazily sitting on the sofa at home, but after listening to Chen Lina's words, he immediately sat up straight. "That's great. Xiao Chen really has a lot of research on plant science."

"If I were the farm director, we would be self-sufficient in cotton within a year, and self-sufficient in wheat within two years. From then on, the district chief would no longer have to go to the Corps Farm to beg for food."

In those days of food shortage, the family would be delighted if they had an extra barrel of oil or a few more cutlass fish.

Little do people know that in order to get a little bit of benefits, the leaders also beg for help from everyone.

"A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger. When I first arrived at the base, I had just graduated from college. I set up a tent at night, ate the roost, and listened to the howling of wolves. Fortunately, I fulfilled my mission and finally extracted oil. If District Chief Gao is worried about Xiao Chen, I did some research in the field of biology at that time, and I will help her more when the time comes."

Seeing that District Chief Gao was still hesitating, Nie Bozhao quickly added one more sentence.

If I don't show my support now, Chen Lina will definitely not let me off when I get home.