How could they not be upset? Yesterday, when they came back, they went to Zhang Shanlin and asked why Lin Ying was given a job but they weren't? If we're talking about difficulties, which family isn't more difficult than theirs?
Just because she's the regimental commander's wife? Just because she knows how to give gifts?
Zhang Shanlin was initially bewildered by their barrage of questions, but after his good temper with these military wives completely vanished, he yelled at them, and they finally recounted what had happened. Only then did he understand what had occurred.
He was also bewildered when he heard that Lin Ying worked at the town's commune, but he made it clear that this wasn't arranged by the army. Unfortunately, these people didn't believe him. They all made a huge fuss.
Zhang Shanlin sent people to call their men, but to no avail. Eventually, Zhao Qinghuai came. Zhang Shanlin called him over. Zhao Qinghuai knew about the incident because Lin Ying was worried that the chicken cake given by the commune director would be crushed, so she put the chicken cake on the top layer of the basket.
Zhao Qinghuai saw it when he was putting Lin Ying down in her basket. Knowing Lin Ying didn't like this food, he figured it couldn't have been her who bought it. He just casually asked.
Lin Ying then told him about helping the commune.
Zhang Shanlin was instantly enraged when he learned that Lin Ying had only offered help and yet these people had made such a fuss. He immediately started cursing.
"You lot can't even live your own lives properly, always eyeing what others have. And you lot, how can you sweep the world if you can't even sweep your own house? This is the army's logistics department, not your personal kang (heated brick bed)! If you keep gossiping here, I'll report you directly! If you can't even manage your own families, how can you manage the soldiers under your command?"
Envy is a disease! So many soldiers in the army still haven't gotten their eyes treated; should we get them treated too?
Zhang Shanlin's words last night were quite harsh. Everyone was humiliated. When they got back, their husbands scolded them, saying they were always spreading baseless rumors.
If they keep causing trouble, let them go back to their hometown.
The children who had been beaten came out one by one, tears streaming down their faces, their mouths watering at the delicious smell. Finally, one child couldn't take it anymore.
"Come on, if we can't eat it, let's smell it!"
Upon hearing this, everyone agreed, so they wiped their snot and tears on their clothes and headed towards Lin Ying's house.
After washing the clothes, Lin Ying saw that the sun was still out and decided to hang them out to dry. Then she saw a group of children gathered outside the fence, their eyes peering inside.
Lin Ying recognized them all; she knew they were kids from the compound, but apart from Xiao Qiang and Xiao Shuai, she couldn't quite place the others.
"Little Handsome, what's going on here?"
Xiao Shuai chuckled, "Auntie, your cooking smells amazing. We're all swooning over the aroma."
Lin Ying couldn't help but laugh: "If you smelled something delicious, why didn't you just come in? You can't eat at the door, can you? Besides, aren't you cold?"
Xiao Shuai chuckled: "My mom said that if I come to your house to freeload again, she'll hit me with the sole of her shoe."
Lin Ying then understood why Xiao Shuai no longer came to her house.
Seeing the children, the oldest no more than ten years old, drooling with desire, Lin Ying said, "Go home and get your bowls and chopsticks. Come to my house for meat later!"
Upon hearing this, everyone took off running home.
Lin Ying watched them all run away and walked back with a smile. However, Lin Ying had just roughly counted about ten children.
The compound wasn't very big, but it housed officers from three regiments, plus the logistics department staff—excluding the unmarried ones and those too young to run around. That was practically all the kids in the compound.
Lin Ying didn't specifically ban the children from coming just because their parents were always gossiping about her behind her back. Adult matters are none of the children's business. Of course, this was also because she hadn't heard the children talking about her behind her back; if she had, she wouldn't have been so magnanimous.
Of course, she wasn't generous either. She wouldn't tell them to take their bowls home. Instead, they had to eat at her house before leaving, so that the military wives wouldn't gossip about her eating her meat.
Just as Lin Ying was about to enter the room, she suddenly realized that the stewed meat at home might not be enough for these children, so she simply dug out another piece of meat from the snowdrift, took it back, cut it into large chunks, and threw it in.
Eating only meat wouldn't do, Lin Ying thought of the bone broth she had originally made for Zhao Qinghuai outside. After thinking for a moment, she simply made some ginseng noodles as well, since she herself didn't like them.
However, before starting to knead the dough, Lin Ying thought for a moment and locked the bedroom door. It wasn't that she didn't trust the children, but rather that everything was scarce in this era, and everyone was curious about everything.
Besides, every child is born with desires, and it was really unnecessary for her to put out valuable things to test their hearts. It was just about a meal of meat; she was just thinking that it had been a long time since she'd had such a lively atmosphere, and these children made her feel more relaxed than the adults.
There's no need to make it look bad.
Just as Lin Ying was kneading the dough, she heard a noise outside. Soon, Xiao Qiang and Xiao Shuai came in with their bowls and chopsticks.
"Hehe, Auntie, we're here."
Thankfully, his mother wasn't there, which allowed him to get over quickly.
Lin Ying pointed to the living room: "Go inside and wait in your slippers, the pot will take a while to cook."
Upon hearing this, the two immediately followed Lin Ying's instructions and went inside wearing slippers.
This was Xiao Shuai's first time visiting Lin Ying's newly built house, and Xiao Qiang had never been there before either. They were incredibly curious about the house.
Unlike Xiaoqiang's reserved manner, Xiaoshuai was quite old-fashioned. After entering the house, he took off his clothes without any hesitation: "Auntie, your house is so warm."
Seeing that his younger brother had taken off his clothes, Xiaoqiang didn't say anything to Lin Ying, so he also took off his clothes.
While Lin Ying was kneading the dough, she heard Xiao Shuai say inside, "Auntie, your floor is warm."
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