Chapter 106

Lu Manman followed Captain Li and boarded a sleeper that most people had never seen before to go to his hometown to meet his parents-in-law.

Qiao Wei and Yan Lei began to prepare for the New Year.

The festive atmosphere was really strong at this time. The children could no longer hold back and secretly set off scattered firecrackers in their pockets on the street.

Qiao Wei's family now had close contacts with Director Lu's family, and this year's New Year's goods were particularly sufficient. Especially the dried duck and ham sent by Director Lu. Qiao Wei drooled at the sight of the whole ham, and she had already thought of 108 different ways to eat it.

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, the couple cleaned up the house inside and out. They

washed what needed to be washed and wiped what needed to be wiped. Yan Lei even picked up the debris that had been piled up in the gap between the house and the back wall of the yard when

he was cleaning the yard. He also collected broken bricks and tiles and built a... I don't know what to call it, anyway, it was neatly enclosed so that there was room to stand when you walked in.

It was time to put up Spring Festival couplets on the 29th of the lunar month, but Yan Lei was not at home.

He had already told Qiao Wei that the leaders would visit the households and comfort the families, and Teacher Pan asked him to accompany them.

Qiao Wei said, "You go, I'll put it up."

Yan Lei was still worried, "Are you capable of it?"

Because at that time, everyone lived in a separate house, unlike later generations who lived in buildings with small doors. At that time, every household had double doors, and they were also high. The Spring Festival couplets they bought were also very large.

Qiao Wei said, "I'll step on the stool!"

Yan Lei wanted to put them up in advance, but Qiao Wei wouldn't let him.

Don't ruin the atmosphere. Sister Yang told her that they can only be put up in the afternoon of the 29th.

Qiao Wei loves the New Year too much. The smell of the New Year, the smell of fireworks, the smell of people, what to do at what time, and Yan Lei is not allowed to ruin it.

On the afternoon of the 29th of the lunar month, after lunch, Qiao Wei took Yan Xiang to put up the Spring Festival couplets: "Look, is it flat, is it flat?"

Yan Xiang looked up and looked left and right: "The left side is higher... the right side is higher... OK, OK! Don't move!"

Finally, the horizontal banner was also pasted.

Just after wiping the stool clean, Yan Lei's voice came from the door: "Qiao Wei! Qiao Wei! Someone's home!"

A large group of men in military coats rushed into the yard, and Qiao Wei was startled by the scene.

Looking closely, only Commander Pan and Captain Zhao were familiar. There were a few familiar faces, but most of them were unfamiliar.

After the military titles were abolished, everyone was dressed the same, and it was impossible to tell the high and low positions, only the age could be seen.

There were several older men walking in the middle. Commander Pan always walked next to an older man.

Qiao Wei knew that this must be the leader, but she didn't know him, so she went up to greet those she knew first: "Commander, you are here!"

Commander Pan was particularly friendly and greeted her: "Qiao Wei, Qiao Wei, come here."

He introduced the older man in the middle: "Commander, this is Yan Lei's lover Qiao Wei."

"Qiao Wei, come and meet the commander."

Qiao Wei stepped forward and stretched out her hand, smiling: "Hello, commander, I am Qiao Wei, I am currently working in the county party committee office, and my superior is Secretary Meng." After

walking all day and meeting so many military dependents, Qiao Wei was still the first to actively extend her hand. Many military dependents, when the commander extended his hand, were so nervous that they rubbed their hands on their aprons before they dared to shake hands with the leader.

The commander reached out and held her hand, saying kindly, "I've heard of you a long time ago, a talented writer among the military families. I've read your articles, and the young comrades are very motivated. They are very good."

The fact that the family members could get the words "very good" from the commander made many people present look at Yan Lei with envy.

Yan Lei was calm and composed, as he was used to his wife not showing any shyness in public and even looking proud.

Qiao Wei invited everyone to sit inside.

It was freezing outside, but the kang in the house played the role of heating and was very comfortable.

But the commander and everyone else were not in a hurry to go inside. They all looked around the yard, and finally their eyes were uniformly focused on the outer wall of the house.

The commander asked, "Are there any adobe houses in our resettlement area?"

It was also the first time for Commander Pan to visit Yan Lei's house, and he was having the same confusion.

It shouldn't be. When the ruins were rebuilt, the adobe walls had long since weathered into lumps of earth. There was no value in rebuilding and repairing them, so the houses that were rebuilt were all stone houses.

"It was a stone house," Qiao Wei explained, "but I'm cold, so I added a layer of loess mud outside to keep the house warm."

"Besides, the original house was repaired and patched up, and the walls didn't look good. It's just right to apply a layer of mud to make it neat and beautiful."

Someone said, "Then paint it white."

After all, in many people's hearts, adobe houses are the worst houses, which means poverty and hardship. They say that the poorer the more glorious, but they still fight for red brick and tile houses.

Qiao Wei smiled and said, "The original color of the countryside is beautiful, and there is no need to paint it white."

The commander didn't say anything, just nodded, but his eyes were much warmer. He led everyone into the house.

The room was completely white, and the walls were spotless, without any traces of scribbles by children.

On the main wall of the main hall hung a portrait of a great man, and the furniture was the same as in other homes, all arranged by the government according to rank. The regiment commander had more desks and drawers than the battalion commander. The division commander had even more.

Generally speaking, the layout was the same.

But Qiao Wei's house had an extra summer bed.

When it got cold in the fall, it was carried from the yard into the main hall and placed against the wall. In the winter, a layer of regenerated cloth was laid to keep warm.

The homespun cushions were against the snow-white wall, simple and clean. A collection of great people's thoughts was casually placed on the sunbed, with a corner of a bamboo bookmark sticking out from the pages, silently declaring that the owner was studying seriously.

With so many people coming, Qiao Wei and Yan Lei had to move out all the chairs, benches, square stools and wooden benches in their home to make sure there was enough space for people to sit. There were several people crammed on the sunbed.

A cast iron coal stove was placed in the middle of the room, with a kettle on top.

Yan Xiang followed his mother's instructions and brought a large pile of bowls from the kitchen. As soon as he came in, several people quickly stood up and stretched out their hands.

Yan Lei smiled and said, "It's okay, he can do it."

Sure enough, the child handed the bowls to his father steadily.

There were too many people, and there were not enough teacups, so they had to get bowls out for emergencies.

Yan Lei lifted the kettle on the cast iron stove and poured out golden tea soup, with the aroma of wheat filling the air.

The leaders each had a bowl in hand, and after taking a sip, their bodies felt warm.

The army commander even boasted to Commander Pan: "The wheat grains are fried at the right temperature. It is at its most fragrant."

Roasted wheat grains are often rinsed with hot water or boiled in the north. This is the barley tea of ​​later generations.

Drink a cup after eating meat to help with the grease. In winter, bring a bowl in from outside to warm you up.

For a while, the room was filled with slurping sounds.

Qiao Wei smiled and said, "This is what Yan Lei cooked. I always fail to get the heat right, so it always tastes a bit burnt."

The military commander said, "You are from the city, so you must have a lot of unfamiliar habits when you come to the town, right?"

"Of course I had some when I first arrived," Qiao Wei said, "but people's habits are cultivated. Children of the working class are the screws of the country, and they should take root wherever they go. Now I have a big house to live in, I am not afraid of wind or rain, my food and clothing are taken care of by the country, I have classes to go to, and my children are taken care of by kindergarten. I often think that I must live a happy life, be happy every day, and then work hard, so that I can live up to the country."

Indeed, she is a person who makes people feel comfortable when she smiles.

The smile comes from the depths of her eyes.

The military commander likes her very much, and he talked about her family and asked about her work. Qiao Wei is one of the few family members who can really talk to the commander about work and all kinds of opinions.

The commander spent the longest time sitting in Qiao Wei's house.

After all, he couldn't sit there forever, and he had to continue visiting other houses. They all stood up and took a routine tour of the house before leaving.

Every room was very clean, and the kitchen and toilet were especially clean.

The feeling of the couple working together to live a prosperous life was particularly strong.

At this time, he turned his head to look at this adobe house, the big red couplets on the door, and the straw sandals and hats by the window.

It was not shabby at all, and it was both rustic and worldly.

The commander's eyes suddenly became a little moist.

"Like my home," he said. "I left home with the troops when I was only twelve years old. My home was like this in my memory." When he

went back later, the home had been burned down.

So many years had passed, and he had achieved success, but he didn't expect to be reminded of dusty memories in the home of a regiment commander.

Yan Lei also followed the army commanders and division commanders to the next house. Qiao Wei was relieved when so many people left.

She originally thought that since Yan Lei was with his entourage, the leader would not come to their home, and there was no preparation at all.

When Yan Lei came back in the evening, she asked, "Why did you come to our house again?"

Yan Lei said, "There was no arrangement originally. Commander Pan suddenly asked which yard was our home. The commander said he wanted to come and see you."

"Oh, then I'm so flattered."

"But I didn't see you surprised." Yan Lei smiled, "I just saw that you were calm."

This man was probably going to start the routine of praising his wife. Qiao Wei was tired of hearing it and interrupted him, "Hurry up and wash your hands and make dumplings!"

"Okay!"

"Mom, I want to make dumplings too."

"Here, this piece of dough is for you to play with."

A hot pot was burning on the cast iron coal stove, dough was being rolled and stuffed on the eight-immortals table, and the children's chubby hands were kneading the dough, happy and having fun.

Qiao Wei was still worried: "I don't know what Manman is doing right now. The villagers are reluctant to light a fire to keep warm. Oh, I don't know if Captain Li knows how to take good care of Manman. Don't let him change his face and yell at people when he comes home."

"He dares." Yan Lei said, "I'll beat him."

The atmosphere on New Year's Eve was even more intense.

Yan Lei and Qiao Wei's family went to the county. There was a Spring Festival Gala at the county cultural palace. Qiao Wei and Secretary Huang's seats were in the second row, just behind the leaders, and the position was particularly good.

They also greeted each other.

Yan Lei could also see that after the car accident, Secretary Huang and Qiao Wei's relationship became different.

They became family.

Secretary Huang brought two children out, and the couple sat one on each of their laps. The children couldn't sit still and were a little noisy.

Yan Xiang sat on her mother's lap and turned her head: "Sit still, put your hands behind your back."

The two little ones calmed down and behaved well.

Qiao Wei patted Yan Xiang's head: "It's a holiday, not a classroom, you don't need to put your hands behind your back."

"Okay." Yan Xiang said, "You don't need to put your hands behind your back. You are very good, so I will reward you with chocolate."

His mother told him that if he was hit, he would be given a date.

He really took out chocolate from his pocket.

Chocolate is expensive and hard to buy. Many children are reluctant to share it.

Secretary Huang's children stopped making noise with chocolate in their mouths and were very well-behaved.

Secretary Huang's wife was amazed: "Your children are the material for being leaders."

Yan Lei looked serious, but he was happy in his heart.

The army's internal publication was printed, reporting the leaders' condolences and inspection before the New Year.

The army commander said: "When this military dependent said, 'The original color of the countryside is beautiful, and there is no need to paint it white,' I knew that this was a simple lesbian with pure beliefs. This city girl has taken root in the army and worked together with her lover to shine in different positions. The army needs more lesbians like this, and the other half of the soldiers should be like this."

Yan Lei cut out this article and pasted it in a special hardcover book.

Qiao Wei's articles published in the newspaper were cut out and pasted here.

Yan Lei often read it repeatedly.

Husband and wife build a harmonious society together.