Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Pan-fried taro cakes

"We have all seen your work attitude and ability over the years. You completed the last mission very well. Several leaders and I have unanimously decided to promote you to the regimental level." Wang Zhong has a kind face. Lin Zhengrong is hardworking and smart, so they are very optimistic about him.

Being promoted from battalion commander to regiment commander is indeed a great thing.

Lin Zhengrong hadn't thought about this. He had been wondering what was going on at home recently. Chen Guowei had mentioned it before and it might cause trouble for them, but he didn't care.

"You look so happy?" Wang Zhong asked with a smile.

"Thank you for your trust, leaders. I will definitely live up to your expectations!" Lin Zhengrong stood up and saluted. He was indeed excited that his efforts were rewarded.

"Sit down, sit down. This is a good thing. If you work hard, you will have a bright future!" Wang Zhong said, and suddenly asked, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Lin Zhengrong sat up straight, his broad shoulders looking very responsible. "I've received many letters from my hometown recently. I haven't been back for many years. I wanted to ask for leave from you, the political commissar."

"Of course, you should go back and take a look. Although we are soldiers of the people, we are also children of our parents and husbands of our lovers. We have the same responsibilities to our families."

Wang Zhong looked at the calendar and said, "Well, wait until your regimental-level appointment is officially issued, and then you can go back. It will only take a few days."

Lin Zhengrong had no objection. He felt more at ease after getting the appointment and then going back.

"By the way, now that you have been promoted to the regimental rank, you can apply for a house from the army. When you go home this time, think about whether you should let your wife and children accompany the army. It is better for the two of you to be together. Otherwise, you will always be alone, and the girls in the army will think you are single."

Many times, people asked Wang Zhong if Lin Zhengrong had a partner. When they learned that Lin Zhengrong was married, they were all very sorry. Among all the soldiers under his command, Lin Zhengrong was the most handsome and tallest.

Follow the army?

Lin Zhengrong hadn’t thought about this, but what if Jiang Qiuyue joined the army?

Lin Zhengrong had no idea for the time being and agreed with Political Commissar Wang, but he didn't take it seriously. He was busy in the army and had no time to care about other people.

Although he decided to go home, Lin Zhengrong still went to the supply and marketing cooperative and found the salesperson, "Excuse me, do you sell dried shrimps and seafood here?"

"What you want are all hot-selling items. They're gone as soon as they're put on the shelves at the supply and marketing cooperatives."

He asked when it would be available, but the salesperson said he didn't know and went back to work. After returning to the dormitory, Chen Guowei reminded him that he could go to the homes of his fellow villagers in the nearby villages to ask, maybe they might have it.

Lin Zhengrong went to the village and bought two kilograms of dried shrimps and other seafood, thinking that he would be able to go home in a few days and could take the goods back with him, and the only thing left would be to send them by mail.

He thought, Jiang Qiuyue will be satisfied this time, right?

At this time, Jiang Qiuyue was busy drying mushrooms. No, she was instructing Lin Beibei and Lin Nannan to dry the mushrooms.

There is a bumper harvest of mushrooms this year, and people are drying mushrooms in the yard of every household.

"Yes, just turn them over one by one like this, Beibei Nannan, you are really amazing, you guys keep working, mommy will go and fry some taro cakes for you."

Jiang Youcai brought taro and taro early in the morning, saying that they were grown at home and were sent to his cousin's house for consumption, and he also brought some for Jiang Qiuyue.

The sight of taro made her craving for it. She made some dough in the morning, cut the taro into thin strips, and seasoned it with chili powder, chopped green onions, and salt.

The dough was filled with taro shreds. Jiang Qiuyue also added a piece of salted meat and then rolled it thinly with a rolling pin. Through the dough, one could see the taro shreds and red peppers.

Heat the oil in the oven over low heat and then fry the taro cakes.

When the dough touched the oil, there was a sizzling sound, and soon the aroma of fried flour filled the yard.

After one side turns golden brown, Jiang Qiuyue turns it over and continues to make the next taro cake.

Lin Beibei ran over impatiently and tiptoed to look at the taro cakes in the pot. Jiang Qiuyue pulled the child back and said, "Be careful of the oil getting on you. Take your sister to drink some cold tea, otherwise eating taro cakes will give you a sore throat."

"Okay!" Lin Beibei went back to the room to pour some cold tea. She poured a bowl for her sister and mother first, and then drank it herself.

When both sides of the taro cake are fried until golden brown, you can take it out and let it cool. Jiang Qiuyue fried four cakes in total.

It's not that she is stingy, it's just that oil and flour are expensive these days and can't withstand her eating too much.

"Beibei, give this piece to Zhuangzhuang. We have taro to eat because of the Niu family."

Jiang Qiuyue put the taro cakes on a plate and patted her son's soft little bottom. "Put down the taro cakes and come back. No matter what milk gives you, you are not allowed to take it. Just tell your mother that you are not allowed to take it."

Having eaten a lot of food from the Niu family, Jiang Qiuyue felt embarrassed to take vegetables from the Niu family again. Even if they were vegetables she grew herself, they were the result of other people’s hard work.

She also had a piece of land in her own yard. When Jiang Youcai and his friends were still there, she asked them to help dig the land.

The vegetable garden is planted with all-season onions, peppers and long beans. The long beans sprouted today, and Lin Beibei went to water the plants as soon as he woke up in the morning. He is very diligent.

"Nannan, come here, this is yours." Jiang Qiuyue moved a stool and sat at the kitchen door with her daughter.

She tried to guide Lin Nannan several times, but it was no use. The little girl had suffered too much psychological trauma and needed time to heal.

The taro cake is fragrant and crispy, with the smooth taro inside and the aroma of salted meat.

After taking a bite, Jiang Qiuyue squinted her eyes with happiness.

At this moment, Lin Beibei's crying was suddenly heard outside the yard, and Jiang Qiuyue ran out.

The plate broke on the ground, and Lin Beibei sat on the ground crying loudly. Opposite him stood a girl of about seventeen or eighteen years old. Jiang Qiuyue recognized her as her sister-in-law Lin Xiao at a glance.

Lin Xiao held a taro cake in his hand, "Beibei, why are you crying? Your mother always gives me something delicious to eat."

She was about to kick Lin Beibei with her foot, but was suddenly pushed away by a strong force, "Who the hell... Sister-in-law, what are you doing?"

“Bang!”

With a very clear and loud sound, Jiang Qiuyue slapped Lin Xiao in the face.

At the same time, Jiang Qiuyue helped Lin Beibei up, "Where did she hit you? Tell mom and she will help you vent your anger."

"Auntie snatched...snatched the cake to eat, and she pushed...pushed me!" Lin Beibei looked at the broken plate on the ground, "Wuwu, I didn't break the plate on purpose. Auntie pinched me, so I didn't hold it."

Seeing that Lin Beibei's arm was not only red, but her elbow was also scratched and bleeding, and the wound was half the size of her palm. Before Lin Xiao could react, Jiang Qiuyue slapped him back.

"Jiang Qiuyue, are you crazy?"

Lin Xiao's face was swollen on both sides. "How dare you hit me? I will fight you!"

Before Lin Xiao could get close, Jiang Qiuyue kicked the man to the ground. He was so brave that he dared to hit her son.

"Lin Xiao, your parents didn't teach you well, so today I'm here to punish you." Jiang Qiuyue sat on Lin Xiao and slapped him twice. "Beibei is such a young child, and I wouldn't hit you so hard for snatching food. But you actually dared to hit him, so I'll beat you until you beg for mercy!"

Lin Xiao was beaten so badly that he had no power to fight back. The meat that Jiang Qiuyue had eaten during this period was not in vain. When Wang Chunhua and the others from next door came back from the fields, Lin Xiao had been beaten into a pig's head.

"Mom!"

Lin Xiao ran over crying, "Jiang Qiuyue has gone crazy, wuwu... Look how bad she beat me up."

In the past, Jiang Qiuyue would do whatever she said, and she would bully the two little bastards Lin Beibei and Lin Nannan at will. She was used to being arrogant before, but today, when she saw that the taro cake Lin Beibei was holding smelled delicious, she grabbed it directly.

It wasn't Lin Xiao who said "Mom". Wang Chunhua didn't recognize Lin Xiao at first. When she heard Lin Xiao's voice, she raised the hoe and rushed towards Jiang Qiuyue, "Beat you to death, you ungrateful wolf. Xiaoxiao is your sister-in-law, how dare you beat her like this?"

Jiang Qiuyue dodged to the side and pulled hard, snatching the hoe from Wang Chunhua's hand, while Wang Chunhua fell flat on her face.

She had been trying to negotiate with the Lin family before, one reason was because the family had not been divided, and the other was for her own reputation. Now that she had established that Wang Chunhua and her husband were partial and abused her and her children, no matter how much she resisted, most people would not think she was going too far.

Lin Fugui frowned, "Jiang Qiuyue, you've gone too far this time!"

"Dad, was it me or Lin Xiao who went too far?" Jiang Qiuyue lifted Lin Beibei's arm. "Lin Xiao beat such a young child. Look at Beibei's injuries. Do you still think it's too much?"

"Oh, you definitely don't think it's excessive, because in your eyes, Dazhu is not your biological son, and Beibei is not your biological grandson either. How can you feel sorry for them?"

This is the neighbor who has returned. Auntie Niu saw Lin Beibei's arm and said, "Oh my God, which bastard hit me?"

Lin Beibei sobbed softly and said it was her aunt.

When Auntie Niu turned around to look for Lin Xiao, she saw the slap mark on Lin Xiao's face and was shocked, "Qiuyue, you... you hit back?"

"Yeah." Jiang Qiuyue nodded.

"Well done!" Auntie Niu applauded Jiang Qiuyue, "You should have been so tough a long time ago. It's good that you've come to your senses now. What's the point of being a slave to the Lin family? Don't they still treat you as outsiders?"

Jiang Qiuyue sighed and said, "Yes, auntie, I have thought it through now. If anyone bullies my child, I will fight him to the death! Can you let Nannan stay at your house for a while? I will take Beibei to the health center. A child that young may have sequelae."

Aunt Niu said it was no problem, but Lin Nannan grabbed Lin Beibei's clothes tightly, saying that she wanted to go too.

Wang Chunhua got up and refused to let Jiang Qiuyue go. "You beat Lin Xiao like this, and you still want to leave? No way!"

"Why, mom wants to fight with me too?" Jiang Qiuyue glanced over coldly, "It was Lin Xiao who hit someone first today. If you are not afraid that the whole village will know that Lin Xiao is vicious and abuses children, then go ask the captain and others to judge. I'm always here to accompany you!"

Jiang Qiuyue, holding the two children, passed by Lin Fugui and emphasized, "Dad, you are smarter than Mom. You should know that your reputation in the village is not very good, right?"

Lin Fugui, who is very proud of himself: ...It’s all Jiang Qiuyue’s fault!

“Dad, you can’t let her go!” Lin Xiao cried and tried to pull her father’s hand, but he shook her off. She stood there in disbelief.

"Why are you crying? You can't beat others, so why do you still have the nerve to cry? Go home!" Feeling the gazes of his neighbors, Lin Fugui's old face turned red.

Jiang Qiuyue took Lin Beibei to the health center to disinfect her arm. Fortunately, it was only a superficial wound, but the area was a bit large. When applying the medicine, Lin Beibei's tears flowed.

Seeing Lin Beibei crying, Lin Nannan also sobbed.

Jiang Qiuyue felt so distressed watching these two well behaved children. Lin Xiao really deserved to die!

"Take this bottle of medicine back and apply it once every morning and evening. You don't need to apply it again once the wound has scabped over." Jiang Zeyu is the barefoot doctor in the village. He usually treats villagers who have headaches or fevers.

This month, he saw Jiang Qiuyue for the second time, but he found that Jiang Qiuyue seemed to have changed a lot. Not only did she become whiter, but more importantly, her spirit and energy changed.

"Thank you, Doctor Jiang. I'll take them back if nothing else." Jiang Qiuyue took the children back, but unfortunately the taro cake was eventually eaten by Lin Xiao.

After arriving home, she let the two children sit and eat cakes while she picked up a sturdy wooden stick and went to knock on the Lin family's door.

They had to pay for smashing her plate and the taro cakes she had worked so hard to make!