Chapter 49 Beef Noodles
The base did not have a supply and marketing cooperative; instead, it was called a military service station, which was an internal, highly planned "supply station."
The supply of goods strictly adheres to the principle of "scarce goods require coupons, ordinary goods require vouchers, and small goods require cash," and all goods are supplied in a planned and limited manner.
The wall was covered with the slogan "Serve the People" and the words "Planned Supply and Frugality" in large red characters.
After receiving their new food and oil ration book, Cheng Cheng led Xiao Xiao and Xiao Zheng into the military service center.
There weren't many people in the store, so she went to the grain and oil counter first, took her grain and oil book and grain coupons, and bought a month's worth of rice, flour and oil.
The salesperson carefully weighed the item using a wooden bucket and scale, performing each step meticulously. After weighing it, Zheng Jinbu proactively reached out and took it from the seller.
Afterwards, Cheng Cheng led Xiao Xiao to the grocery counter, but didn't see any fresh vegetables. When they asked, they were told that they had all been sold out long ago. Here, fresh vegetables are even more sought after than meat.
All that was left were piles of potatoes and carrots. Cheng Cheng bought a little of each. Well, luckily, Sister Tuoya had given her some fresh vegetables yesterday.
She used her food ration book to buy a pound of salt, two pounds of soy sauce, two bars of soap, a box of matches, and some other daily necessities.
She had originally wanted to buy some melon seeds and peanuts, but since she couldn't find them at the store, she had to give up.
It felt like I hadn't done anything all morning; aside from handling grain rations and going to the service center to make purchases, the morning was over.
Cheng Cheng ate lunch at home. She made a cucumber salad, but realized she had forgotten to buy vinegar when she was mixing it. However, it didn't matter, as she scooped a spoonful of her mother's chopped chili peppers into the salad.
I also made a hot and sour shredded potato dish, and added two spoonfuls of chopped chili peppers. Chopped chili peppers can be added to almost anything; they're an essential ingredient for cooking.
Finally, I made a stir-fried pumpkin dish. Just as it was ready to be served, Zhou Yue returned from scouting.
She timed it perfectly; she scooped the pumpkin shreds from the pot onto a plate, saying, "Zhou Yue, wash the dishes and eat."
He then said to his daughter, "Xiaoxiao, come with Daddy to wash your hands."
At the dinner table, Zhou Yue asked his wife about her shopping trip to the service center that day. Although Xiao Zheng had already reported the matter to him on the way back, he wanted to hear his wife tell him the story herself.
Cheng Cheng picked up a piece of cucumber salad and put it in her mouth. The refreshing taste of the tender cucumber, mixed with the flavor of chopped chili peppers, was incredibly satisfying.
"We bought rice, flour, oil, salt, soy sauce..."
Cheng Cheng chattered on about what happened at the service center that day, while Xiao Lingxiao chimed in to his mother, "Dad, we went too late today and didn't get any fresh vegetables or meat. Mom said we should go earlier tomorrow."
"Okay, I'll go out with you all tomorrow."
A faint smile played on Zhou Yue's lips as he listened to these ramblings that lacked any "technical content." Surprisingly, he felt that these trivial matters were meaningful, and his heart felt full, making even the food taste better than usual.
However, his wife's cooking skills were already excellent, and at this moment, Zhou Yue suddenly had a clearer understanding of the concept of home.
He felt great and liked his life now, without a doubt.
In the afternoon, Zhou Yue went to work. When he left, Cheng Cheng and Xiao Xiao were still sleeping. Zhou Yue stared at his wife and daughter on the bed for a moment, feeling a surge of strength, and then gently closed the door.
Cheng Cheng woke up again to the noise outside.
"Comrade Toya, is Comrade Cheng Cheng home? I don't see her."
"He should be home." Toya called from the doorway, "Comrade Cheng, are you home? Comrade Zhong Yan is looking for you."
Cheng Cheng was awakened by the noise, and Xiao Lingxiao also woke up, rubbing his sleepy eyes, "Mom?"
Cheng Cheng smiled, bent down and kissed the little one's forehead. "Mommy will go out and take a look first."
Xiao Lingxiao nodded blankly, as if he had just woken up and his brain hadn't fully registered yet.
Cheng Cheng slipped on her shoes, tied her hair in a ponytail as she walked, and quickly pushed open the door to go out.
"Sister Toya."
It was the first time Zhong Yan had seen Zhou Gong's lover, and she couldn't help but be amazed. She was stunned for a few seconds until Tuoya next to her nudged her, and she suddenly came back to her senses.
She saw Zhou Gong's lover smiling at her, her face as bright as the moon, her eyebrows and eyes curved, she was extremely beautiful!
"If I had known that Engineer Zhou's wife was such a beauty, I should have prepared myself mentally beforehand. Old Luo didn't even warn me!"
Zhong Yan complained, "This is clearly a case of shifting the blame without distinguishing right from wrong."
Luo Yuquan: Feed me peanuts! Feed me peanuts!
After they got to know each other, Cheng Cheng quickly invited them inside and poured them tea.
Zhong Yan took a sip and said, "There must be honeysuckle in it, right?"
Cheng Cheng gave her a thumbs up, "Sister Zhong Yan guessed right!"
The honeysuckle was picked by her mother, her eldest sister-in-law, and her second sister-in-law on the mountain. It didn't cost them any money. Every year in March and April, wild honeysuckle blooms all over the mountains. Every year, Ms. Xu Fengying would pick a lot of it, dry it, and steep it in water to drink.
Little Lingxiao sat on the bed waiting for her mother to come back for a long time, but the little girl climbed off the bed and walked out of the bedroom with her messy hair.
"Mother."
"Aunt Toya!"
When the little girl saw Toya wearing a Mongolian robe, her sleepy eyes immediately lit up.
When Cheng Cheng saw the little one, a smile spread across her face, and she beckoned her over.
Little Lingxiao rushed into her mother's arms. Cheng Cheng patted her head, trying to tame her frizzy hair, and introduced her to her daughter: "This is Aunt Zhong Yan, Uncle Luo's wife."
Zhou Yue had mentioned his life at the base to them, including Luo Yuquan. As soon as Cheng Cheng said it was Uncle Luo, Xiao Lingxiao immediately recognized the name.
A pair of dark eyes looked at Zhong Yan, revealing two small dimples. "Hello, Aunt Zhong Yan~ My name is Xiaoxiao!"
The little girl had a snow-white face, red lips and white teeth, and delicate features. She called her "Auntie" in a soft and sweet voice, and Zhong Yan's face lit up with a smile. She couldn't be more delighted!
She and Luo Yuquan only had two sons, no daughters at all. The two boys were always envious of other people's daughters.
"Okay, okay, your name is Xiaoxiao, right? That's a beautiful name!"
Zhong Yan's eyes brimmed with affection, and Cheng Cheng felt incredibly proud; her daughter was just that adorable! Everyone loved her!
She squeezed the little one's hand and said, "Go get the comb, Mommy will comb your hair for you."
Okay~
Little Lingxiao ran back to the bedroom, and soon came running back, holding a rubber band and a comb.
Unable to contain her delight, Zhong Yan asked, "Xiao Xiao, can Auntie help you comb your hair?"
Xiao Lingxiao looked up at her mother. Cheng Cheng let the little girl make her own decision. The little girl tilted her head and thought for a moment, then took small steps to move a small stool and placed it in front of Aunt Zhong Yan.
"Thank you so much, Aunt Zhong Yan!"
"Oh, oh! It's no trouble at all! Auntie will be overjoyed!"
Zhong Yan beamed with joy. The little girl, only three years old, was at the most innocent and carefree age. She was fair-skinned and clean-cut, well-behaved and polite, and a soft, fluffy little thing. Oh dear, why wasn't she her daughter?
"To be honest, when Lao Luo and I had our first child, we were hoping it would be a girl, but it turned out to be a boy. A few years later, we were still not satisfied, so we had our second child, and it turned out to be another boy!"
"Isn't it infuriating! If we have a third child, I'm afraid it'll be a brat!"
As Zhong Yan combed the little girl's hair, she spoke to Cheng Cheng and Tuoya, her words filled with undisguised resentment.
They probably can't empathize with this topic!
The reason is simple: both of them have daughters.
Toya's eldest daughter is twelve years old this year, her youngest daughter is six years old, and her second son is ten years old. She has two daughters and one son. The three siblings went to their maternal grandparents' house in the village for summer vacation a few days ago and have not returned yet.
"Xiao Cheng, you'd better hang a curtain on your door as soon as possible. It's very windy and dusty here. You have to hang curtains on the windows and doors, otherwise the house will be full of sand."
"Have you bought kerosene lamps yet? We need to stock up on those too, as there are sometimes power outages at night..."
"..."
Toya and Zhong Yan shared a lot of their experience living at the base with Cheng Cheng, which was very helpful.
The group chatted and laughed, while away the afternoon at Cheng Cheng's house. Time seemed to fly by, and before they knew it, the sun had set.
Zhong Yan was in a hurry to go back and cook, so she left first; she was far away.
Toya wasn't in a hurry. She lived next door, and her husband wasn't at the base; he was away on a mission. Her children weren't home either, so she was all alone and could eat whenever she wanted.
Cheng Cheng had promised Xiao Xiao that she would go to the cafeteria for ramen today, and that the three of them would eat there together after Zhou Yue got off work, so she wasn't in a hurry.
Zhou Yue called Tuoya to go outside to enjoy the sunset, and they happened to run into each other when Zhou Yue came home from get off work.
Toya smiled and said, "Zhou is back. You guys should take Xiaoxiao to the cafeteria for ramen. I'm heading back too."
Cheng Cheng took Xiao Xiao's hand and walked towards Zhou Yue.
What did you do this afternoon?
Zhou Yue bent down to pick up his daughter, turned his head to look at his wife, and his expression revealed a sense of relaxation.
Just thinking about his wife and daughter waiting for him to come home from get off work fills him with a sense of peace, as if a warm hand is gently supporting and caressing the deepest part of his soul.
Throughout the afternoon, Zhou Yue felt neither tired nor tired at all, which was truly due to his excessive excitement. However, at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a little impatient, as if time was passing more slowly than usual.
Seeing his wife and daughter at that moment, his anxious heart miraculously calmed down.
"In the afternoon, Comrade Luo Yuquan's wife, Sister Zhong Yan, came. Sister Zhong Yan is especially fond of our Xiao Xiao. Look, she even combed Xiao Xiao's braids..."
Zhou Yue enjoyed listening to his wife tell him about these trivial matters in great detail, which made him feel as if he were also involved in his wife and daughter's lives when he was not at home.
When they arrived at the cafeteria, it was lunchtime, and there were several times more people than when they had come the day before.
The moment the family of three appeared in the canteen, the previously noisy surroundings fell into an eerie silence. In the northwestern Gobi Desert, filled with yellow dust, sandstorms, green military uniforms, and rugged lines, the family of three seemed like people who had stepped out of a painting of Jiangnan and suddenly entered this magnificent land.
The man was aloof and refined, the woman was bright and beautiful, and the little girl in his arms was exquisite and adorable, making one want to take a second look.
The two adults seemed oblivious to the amazed looks from the crowd, and little Lingxiao quietly hid in his father's arms.
Zhou Yue went to queue up, and Cheng Cheng took Xiao Xiao to find an empty seat. The "pause button" that had been pressed was instantly restored, and it was even noisier than before.
Xiao Lingxiao breathed a sigh of relief, looked up at his father's figure with expectant eyes, and couldn't wait any longer.
After a while, Zhou Yue returned with two bowls of beef noodles.
Cheng Cheng served the little guy some noodles, saying, "Okay, blow on them to cool them down."
As usual, Zhou Yue put the thin slices of beef from his bowl into his wife's bowl, which Cheng Cheng accepted readily. However, she put one of the slices back into her husband's bowl.
Meeting the man's surprised, smiling gaze, Cheng Cheng lowered her head nonchalantly.
Little Lingxiao opened his bright eyes, looked at his mother, glanced at his father, and held chopsticks with his little fingers, picking up a thin slice of beef and putting it into his father's bowl.
With her eyes crinkling into crescents, she said in her little voice, word by word, "Two pieces for Mom, two pieces for Dad, and two pieces for Xiaoxiao."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Cheng and Zhou Yue looked at each other and laughed in unison.
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Author's note: Good night, see you tomorrow.
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