Chapter 53

Cucumber Cold Noodles

"What do you mean Liu Han was shot? I remember when he got off the bus, he was fine."

Just a few days after returning to the base, Chen Lina was shocked by the news.

That night, Sun Xiaoai was captured and Sun Dabao was shot dead.

All the people in the farm who participated in the escape will certainly not escape punishment in such a strict era. However, after all, the incident only happened in the mining area, and they will receive education and serve their sentences in the mining area.

However, from now on, Loulan Farm was taken over by the mining area’s armed forces.

But Liu Han was fine when he went out, so how could he be shot?

"Well-trained security guards would not harm the people in the truck when they saw it bursting open, but they would definitely aim and shoot at the driver's cabin. You and the children were lucky, of course, because you were lying low. Liu Han was hit by the sand bullet because he opened the window when he wanted to shout."

Sand bullets in hunting rifles generally do not kill people because of their small force, but they can cause very serious infections. Liu Han was shot in the waist, and after the sand bullet was removed, he died from the subsequent infection and complications.

“So is he a martyr?”

"Chen Lina, do you know what it means that the dead cannot speak? Before being shot, Sun Xiaoai kept pouring dirty water on Liu Han, pushing all the blame on him. If the armed forces had not found strong evidence and arrested her superior at the Hazikzi border, and wiped out the entire spy den, Sun Xiaoai would have probably pushed all the blame on Liu Han.

However, even so, the charges she brought against Liu Han were enough to prove that he was also a Soviet revisionist and a martyr. It was already good enough that the two children were not implicated by him. "

"What about the two children?"

"Liu Han's father came and took Liu Xiaogang away. He was determined not to keep the girl. There is a family in our mining area's No. 3 mine that wants to adopt her. They are discussing this with the leaders."

"What's his last name, and what's his name?"

"The man's surname is Song, and his name is Song Jian. He is a well digger. His wife is infertile, so he wants a child."

"Old Nie?"

"Um?"

"I think you look particularly handsome today."

"Comrade Xiao Chen, please don't be so stupid. I don't have the hobby of raising children for others. Besides, the little girl is very delicate. We only have two kangs in our house. Let me ask you, if you really adopt her, will she sleep with you at night or with Wei Min and the others?"

"So, you think I want to adopt Liu Xiaohong?"

"What do you mean?"

"I have to tell you something. That girl will be shot for drug trafficking in the future. However, according to a tabloid, the drugs were planted on your son by someone else, and then she took the blame for your son, took the initiative to admit to the drugs, and received the death penalty for him."

"Heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, or opium?" Nie Bozhao took off his glasses before going to bed.

"There are many kinds of drugs. After the reform and opening up, they flooded into the market and were very rampant for a while. It was not until the Ministry of Public Security cleaned it up and cracked down on it that the situation was curbed. However, it still poisoned a large number of young people."

"Have the guards ever been involved in drug trafficking?" Well, the old cadre looked serious and took seriously something that had not happened yet.

Chen Lina explained, "They are just hooligans who occupy the streets in the city and collect protection fees. As for whether they have ever sold anything, I don't know."

"If he really did that, he deserved to be shot. Lin Zexu's destruction of opium in Humen was a warning that only lasted a hundred years. It seems that reform and opening up are not always good things." Nie Bozhao said bluntly.

"I'm not saying I want to adopt that little girl. I just remembered that the newspaper said that the child was a child of an oilfield family, but because no one disciplined her, she went astray. Also, I read that her adoptive father's surname was Song, and her former name was Song Jingnian."

"Pan Jinlian, Song Jinlian, these name changes are really interesting."

"What I mean is that no matter how much things have changed, Liu Xiaohong will have an adoptive father named Song in the future. This proves that she was still adopted by Song Jin in her previous life. So, it was because she was in Song Jin's house that she didn't study well, and she went out into society at a young age and became someone's mistress when she was fifteen or sixteen years old."

In fact, the article does not mention that Liu Xiaohong was sexually assaulted by her adoptive father since she was a child, which is why she ran into society at a young age. In view of the seriousness, rigidity and integrity of the worker, Chen Lina concealed this sentence.

"Then tell me, what do you want?" Nie Bozhao thought for a moment and said, "I don't have the habit of adopting children. If you really want a child of your own, why don't we have one?"

"Let's have a baby? Are you willing to throw away your balloons?"

"Comrade Xiao Chen, I wear a condom when I have sex because I want to protect your body. Having a baby is a very troublesome thing, and both parties must agree. For example, now I agree and want it. Otherwise, how about we have another daughter?"

"No need. You wanted it, but I don't want it now. I am the most beautiful girl in the base. I am also the most beautiful and the best producer among the 200 farms in the border area. My career is booming. What kind of child should I have?"

"You don't love me very much. If you love me, shouldn't you give me a daughter?"

"Laonie, I think we should all have a clear understanding of ourselves. Don't you think about it? If there was no Lao Nie in my previous life, would I come to this frontier to be exposed to the wind and rain, let the sun burn my skin, and work hard to raise a child for you?"

"It seems that I really owe my life to him. Well, Apricot Tree Fork defeated me. He is a hero, a monument, and he is invincible. However, you should fulfill your obligations, Comrade Xiao Chen." Nie Bozhao was heartbroken.

"Mr. Nie, I want to propose and be romantic, but you didn't give me any of these. There is no obligation for me to fulfill. Let's go to sleep."

"A watch doesn't count?"

"It's OK, but can you please stop wearing that balloon? If you do, I won't allow it. I told you I can't afford it. I told you to stop blowing it up. You're like taking a shower wearing a raincoat."

Looking at the recycled condoms, Nie Bozhao felt that her description was very apt.

Well, from now on, he understood that since she said she couldn't have a baby, then she definitely couldn't.

"It's the middle of the night, aren't you awake?"

"Is it wrong to try to take off all my clothes and take a bath? Besides, today is the day that happens once a month?"

…

"Old Nie, don't tell me you are

The man seemed very excited, very, very excited, with his head resting on her chest.

After holding it in for an unknown amount of time, he said, "In my lifetime,

…

The next day, Chen Lina got up early in the morning. She had originally taken a day off to take her three children to the mining area. But just as she had finished getting dressed in the morning, her parents came to visit.

He Laner was also carrying a basket of fresh cucumbers with flowers hanging on them.

"Mama Ham, do you want some cucumbers? We grow them on our farm." Chen Lina saw Mama Ham standing across the wall and asked after picking up two cucumbers.

Mother Ham took the cucumber and said, "Oh, my cucumbers are just blooming. The cucumbers from our farm are already out of the market. Xiao Chen, you are such a jerk as the farm manager."

"Mama Ham, I have covered the ground with soil film. The soil has enough heat and moisture, so the cucumbers on the farm will grow faster. Hurry up and go to the supply and marketing cooperative in the mining area to buy two rolls of soil film tomorrow. The vegetables will sprout faster and grow better."

"I've always heard about soil membranes. Don't we know how to use them?" Sister Wang said as she leaned over the wall on the other side.

Chen Lina also gave her two cucumbers. "Well, our farm has a plastic factory coming today to teach everyone how to lay and use soil film. You can go and have a look."

Today's soil film is not the kind of mulch film that will be introduced from Japan in the future. It is not as good as mulch film in terms of water or heat locking. However, for the planting industry, it is already a qualitative leap.

While other Corps farms were still hesitating and considering whether to use it, Chen Lina was the first to arrive at the plastic factory and grabbed the first batch of soil film. A batch of vegetables grown with the soil film have already been put on the market.

"Lina, take a break at noon, mom will cook for you."

"Mom, where did this fine white flour come from? Could it be that my brother-in-law made it for you?" Chen Lina asked when she saw her mother kneading fine white flour and smelled the aroma of wheat flour.

He Lan'er shook her head quickly, "I'm afraid that others will say that he got his position through nepotism. He eats what everyone else eats. We eat 85 rice noodles and wo wo tou just like you. These three pounds of fine noodles were distributed by the farm during the Chinese New Year. They have been stored here. How about I make you a bowl of cucumber cold noodles today?"

"Grandma, what is cucumber cold noodles?" Erdan ran in while chewing a big cucumber.

He Laner smiled and said, "Just mix the cold melon with cold noodles. In this hot weather, a bowl of cold noodles is very comfortable. I will roll out some thin long noodles for you that you have never eaten before."

When it comes to He Lan'er's skill in rolling noodles, of course even Chen Lina can't compare to her.

However, He Lan'er was not here just to give the lady a cold noodle today. Seeing the three children, along with little Jinbao and Chen Tiantian, playing in front of the faucet in the yard, He Lan'er said, "Lina, raising three children must be hard, right?"

"If you have enough food and clothing, it's not considered hard work."

"Every day I see you carrying the little one on your back when you get to the farm. The child can't even have a sip of hot water. Sometimes he just hangs in your arms and falls asleep. Not only does the child suffer, but you have to be the farm manager and take care of the child at the same time. It's really hard."

"I don't feel that way. I'm used to holding him in my arms. It's like he's grown on my body. I don't feel he's heavy," said Chen Lina.

Although her mother told her not to do any work, Chen Lina still had to make a plate of cucumber shreds before the other children rushed to eat them all.

Cold noodles with cucumber and fried eggs are naturally delicious.

Nie Bozhao has been at the base recently, and he hasn't eaten thin noodles for a long time. Chen Lina thought about it, called Nie Weimin, and said, "Weimin, please check if there are any wild duck eggs in the small warehouse. I have to fry some wild duck eggs today."

"Didn't you say recently that the water in the Baiyang River was too deep and that we couldn't go to the river to play? Why do you want wild duck eggs? We don't have any now."

"Oh, yes, there are wild duck eggs. My brother picked up a lot and hid them here."

"See, I told you not to go, but did you listen?"

"I just don't want you to worry, and I also know that you will always eat wild duck eggs, so I secretly saved them for you. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"That's right. But, Nie Weimin, what do you mean by gluttony? It's me, not you three?" Chen Lina has always been convinced by her eldest son who always makes her speechless.

Only when you are the head of a household do you know how expensive fuel and rice are. It turns out that before she became the manager, Chen Lina was still very generous.

Now that she had the warehouse account in her hands, she knew what was in the warehouse and how long the difficult times would last, so she didn't dare to waste anything. However, since she was going to make a good meal, she had to be a little ruthless, so she poured an extra spoonful of cooking oil into the pot, and a bowl of plump, fluffy and soft scrambled eggs came out of the pot.

"Lina, mom and dad came today because we have something to discuss with our son-in-law. He will be home soon, so let me talk to you first. We can ask him for help later. Is that okay?"

"What's the matter?" Chen Lina was stunned, because her mother had a serious look on her face and her father was standing at the kitchen door, looking quite embarrassed.

He Laner said, "It's like this. Your sister has been to the mining area hospital and the local doctor for a long time, taking injections and taking medicine, but she still can't get pregnant. Don't you have many sons in your family? Otherwise, you can give one to your sister. After all, it's still yours. You just ask her to help you raise it?"

"Mom, what are you talking about? What do you mean it's still mine even if it's given away?" Chen Lina's voice suddenly became louder.

Chen Bingcang said, "You have three children in your family. If you think one is not good, you can give one to your eldest sister temporarily and ask her to raise it and have a child. Then I will send it back to you when the time is right."

"Yes, Erdan is a glutton, I think he eats the most. He eats a lot in the farm, and we only let him eat. Besides, your sister has no son, and if we really take him there, he will live better than here. If he can give birth to a child, we will send him back to you."

Leading children is a custom in the old society.

In some families, couples have been married for a long time but cannot have children, so they adopt a child from another family, bring the child to their own home, and sleep on the same kang. After a while, when the couple has a child, they return the child to the other family.

"Mom, that's enough. I know what you want to do today." Chen Lina took the rolling pin and rolled out the dough herself. "She should have her own children in the future, but she doesn't have any yet. Don't worry about it. As for having children, don't mention it to Lao Nie. I'm rejecting you here. That won't work."

"Why, are you worried that your sister will treat your children badly? Lina, she is your biological sister, you should know her character, even though she is a little confused, her heart is as kind as yours."

"Mom, this is not a question of kindness or not. My child will not be given away."

"Even your own sister can't do it?" He Lan'er was unhappy.

Chen Lina now finally understood why Sun Ai-nan was justified in giving away the child. Children are not like lovers. In the eyes of these elders, they seem to be something that can be shared and given away at will.

"Even my own sister can't do that. That's mine. I won't give it away to anyone. Not to mention giving it back after I gave birth to it myself, I can't even send it away to be raised for a day."

He Laner covered her mouth, turned around and went out. She left directly.

Chen Bingcang sighed and said, "Hongbing and I both said we should adopt the child, but your mom and sister insisted on asking. In my opinion, they should be humiliated by you."

Just as I was going out, I ran into Nie Bozhao who was coming back from get off work. He was quite puzzled to see his mother-in-law left in a hurry. When he saw his father-in-law again, he became even more puzzled.

Hearing that they came to have children, Nie Bozhao was unhappy. Why were people staring at his three sons? Were they afraid that he couldn't afford to raise them?

"Okay, I've already rejected it. I've made it clear that I can't. My sister will probably be angry for a while, but she'll be fine soon." Chen Lina then comforted Nie Bozhao.

"You have done very well. I, Nie Bozhao's son, will never give him to anyone." He grew up with his adoptive parents, and of course they were very good to him.

But after being given away, he was troubled every day by whether he had done something wrong, and whether it was because he had not done well enough that his parents did not want him.

Nie Bozhao never wants his sons to experience the feeling of always being afraid that their adoptive parents will abandon them.

There was a clanging sound in the kitchen, and Chen Lina suddenly slapped her head, "Oh, why did I forget that if I don't add oil to the cucumber, it will all turn into water."

When she entered the kitchen, she saw the whole family. Erdan was cooking, Nie Weimin was making long noodles, and Sandan, the youngest, was holding a bowl and moving towards his brother.

The noodles rolled by He Lan'er were so long that the big one picked up one with chopsticks, while the small one held the bowl and struggled to catch it.

"Erdan, aren't you the one who hates to work the most? Why are you so diligent today?"

The three children turned around at the same time and just smiled without saying anything.