"Tsk tsk tsk!"
Qin Qinghuai's exaggerated sentiments
"It has to be my own brother-in-law. He's so concerned about it and takes the initiative to improve. Why doesn't Xiao Jing have the same awareness?"
"Tch, come on, is that something to be aware of?"
He's been busy ever since he came here, especially these last two months. I heard from my mom that he's so busy he could fall asleep the moment his head hits the pillow. He can only finish his homework because his grandma is keeping him occupied. How can he have time to think about anything else?
Besides, Qin Jing is different from Xiao An and the others. Although Xiao An and the others live with their second uncle and aunt, their second uncle was very busy at that time. They were like free-range animals, going up and down mountains and rivers. They lived in the family compound and had been exposed to training since they were young. Although I trained them, they already had a foundation. It was just that they picked it up again.
Even when they later joined the army, they adapted relatively quickly.
Xiao Jing and the others, really?
I've heard them say that in Beijing, they all live with their parents, and they only visit the compound a limited number of times. They also rarely have any contact with the compound for training or anything like that.
"That's true,"
Qin Qinghuai nodded.
"My parents are busy with military affairs, and my two older brothers have to work. The compound is far from the city, so they moved out a long time ago. The children live with them and only visit occasionally for a few days. In fact, they are no different from other children. In your words, they have no foundation at all."
Perhaps it's also related to the thoughts of the eldest and second eldest brothers. They didn't join the army, and they're not really interested in their children joining either, so…
Nodding simply, I understand.
"That's normal. I think your method is quite good. People say that those who go to the army are tempered and their souls are elevated. Letting them be tempered is a good thing. It's good for them to exercise and defend their country. How glorious is that!"
The couple chatted for a while before returning to their next-door neighbor's house.
As December arrived, the strawberries in the greenhouse ripened, but their size was naturally incomparable to those grown in the open space, and the number of successful strawberries was not large, only accounting for about half of the greenhouse's produce.
But for those who had been taking care of him personally for several months, this was an enormous surprise. Even Professor Wei and the others, though speaking modestly, were filled with a great sense of accomplishment.
"Thankfully, it wasn't all for nothing!"
Those vegetable greenhouse owners were experienced, so they weren't too worried. After the autumn harvest, their focus would be on this greenhouse.
They were curious and interested in new things, so they skipped the sowing and seedling stage and focused on transplanting, planting, watering, fertilizing, pest control, pruning, and the temperature, humidity, ventilation, sunlight, and warmth inside the greenhouse. With their years of experience, plus Qin Qinghuai's smuggling out to grow books, these people were incredibly serious. If it weren't for the old man following them every day, Professor Wei and the others would have liked to stay there 24 hours a day.
They are familiar with strawberries, but in this extremely cold region, and out of season, working in these out-of-season greenhouses is a challenge for them.
Fortunately, it was a success.
"Old man, regimental commander, political commissar, please check, have we lived up to expectations?"
"That's right, you guys are really amazing!"
Commander Lin immediately gave a thumbs up, and Qin Qinghuai was also pleasantly surprised.
"You've all worked hard. Growing such delicate things in the dead of winter is a great achievement. What do you say, Commander?"
"That's right, Professor Wei, and all the professors. We've been treating you all like family for so long. If you need anything, please let us know. Besides, after a year of hard work and such great progress, you definitely deserve a reward. If you don't tell us what you need, then we'll just do what we want."
Professor Wei clapped his hands and laughed heartily.
"After I arrived, they prepared all the food and drinks for me, and even the clothes. They sent me new clothes even before the season changed. Look at this cotton coat of mine, it's made of new cotton, haha!"
Is there anything else I'm lacking?
Professor Zhu, who is usually not very talkative, chuckled.
"That's right. With food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, if we don't work hard now, we feel like we're letting you down with such good treatment."
If you ask what we lack, the thing we want most is something we can't do without, but it's definitely not what you're thinking.
At our age, being alive enough to do something more for our country is enough for us.
The group exchanged glances. Qin Qinghuai's mind raced, and considering Professor Zhu's感慨 (sentiments/reflections), he tentatively asked,
"Don't you guys think it's exhausting to work non-stop all year round?"
Professor Wei waved his hand.
"Hey! What's so hard about it! When is it not hard?"
Wasn't fighting in the past tough?
Weren't those years in the early years after the founding of the People's Republic of China tough because everything was in short supply?
Haven't we had a tough time in the cowshed these past few years?
Haha! You young people probably don't understand.
At our age, we really don't have many needs anymore. If we could have the opportunity to make the most of what we've learned in the past few decades and put it into practice, then we probably wouldn't have any regrets.
Clearly, the two are now like-minded, and their words are perfectly in sync.
"You don't need to worry about it. We don't need any rewards. Let's just share them with those who need them."
We just want to thoroughly study this land. If we can grow more crops and increase grain yields, wouldn't that be a good thing for you and for the country?
He was an agronomist, a practical person, and spoke in a down-to-earth manner, which earned him nods of agreement from everyone present.
Qin Qinghuai thought for a moment and then said nothing more. He wanted to go back and discuss it with Jian Da. After all, if they wanted to develop their business, they would have to rely on her space, which was a powerful shortcut.
The atmosphere at the scene gradually became lively, with everyone discussing whether the strawberries could be sold for a good price. After all, this was the result of everyone's hard work over the past few months, and it was a way to seek recognition.
"Political Commissar, what are your plans?"
Last year, we were basically self-sufficient in grain and vegetables, and this year we have a surplus. However, in light of the snow disasters that have occurred in recent years, the mess hall made a lot of preparations in advance. They kept a lot of dried vegetables, sauerkraut, and pickled vegetables. The remaining vegetables that they couldn't finish were sent to the county town. Jian Dan didn't ask about it, but he could guess that the army had been here for so many years and must have plenty of connections.
However, strawberries are a rare treat in winter and fetch a high price, so after comparing several options, Qin Qinghuai opted for the simple coal yard that offered them; they were generous and willing to spend.
And so, it was a mutually agreeable arrangement.
"Commander, once the crops are ripe in a couple of days, I'll have someone come and transport them away. The buyer has already been arranged. We can sell these and then come back to buy some useful things. It's almost the end of the year, and everyone here, whether they're from here or in our camp, has worked hard all year. Let's give everyone some benefits."
Commander Lin was pleased again.
"This logistics work still has to be handled by you. It gets better every year. I'm only doing this because of you."
The atmosphere was cheerful when suddenly there was a loud "boom." Everyone turned to look and saw what appeared to be smoke rising faintly from the back of the mountain.
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