“Your aunt is amazing. Many of the soldiers in your father’s unit went blind at night. Your aunt not only gave them medicine, but also donated all the vegetables and fruits in her house to the army.”
"A whole bunch of you went to her house and ate and drank so much, what is she going to eat after this?"
Xiaoqiang isn't a three-year-old; he still has his own thoughts: "But when we went there, my aunt had a big pot full of stewed meat in it, and there was still a lot left after we finished eating."
Li Yue'e choked: "Is that impossible?"
Xiao Shuai said from the side, "My aunt said that when she went up the mountain to cut down pear trees, a wild boar ran into one of them, so she just chopped off its head. We all ate the boar's head meat, and it was so delicious."
Li Yue'e choked again, even subconsciously swallowing: "One, one pig?"
Xiaoqiang nodded: "That's right, my aunt told us to eat as much as we wanted, but not to eat too much, otherwise she wouldn't let us go there anymore."
Li Yue'e's eyes widened, and her voice unconsciously rose: "You still want to go? I'm telling you, you're not allowed to go, do you hear me? A whole bunch of you eating and playing. What if you make a mess of your aunt's house? You have fun, but after you leave, your aunt will have to clean up for ages!"
Xiaoqiang interpreted this as meaning that as long as they didn't cook at their aunt's house or cause any trouble for her, they could go to their aunt's house to play.
So, when others came to them, Xiaoqiang, in a very leader-like manner, laid down three rules for everyone:
"Don't touch anything in your aunt's house, don't make a mess of your aunt's house, and definitely don't fight in your aunt's house. If there's a problem, go outside to resolve it."
They're not stupid; they know what kind of children adults like. Only Aunt Lin Ying doesn't mind their noise and even lets them listen to the radio. Of course, some of them are craving meat and want to see if they can still get some.
When these children got home, the first thing they did was ask their families to find them cups to drink water. Their auntie said that if they didn't bring a cup tomorrow, they wouldn't get any sweet water.
Seeing their children so enthusiastic made the military wives feel like their homes had been invaded.
Especially those who look down on Lin Ying or dislike her. Their daily chatter revolves around Lin Ying and her crickets. As a result, their own children are eating and drinking at her house.
Now look what's happened! Even if I were to say something, my own child would be the first to object.
Look at them now, they all keep calling each other "auntie" this and "auntie" that, they're even closer to them than their own mothers.
She was muttering to herself, but she was still preparing a water cup for the child. It was more like a tin can, just covered with a rope or straw shell to keep it cool.
After the children went home, Lin Ying started making dinner. There was still some sweet soup left, which was kept warm on the stove. They had eaten quite a bit of dried fruit in the afternoon, so Lin Ying planned to eat something light for dinner. However, Zhao Qinghuai had been busy all day, so he wanted to eat something good.
So, Lin Ying took out the ribs and made a braised rib dish, along with a stir-fried vegetable. She also made a rib soup. The staple food was steamed buns; Zhao Qinghuai is from the north and loves wheat-based foods.
When Zhao Qinghuai returned, Lin Ying had already prepared dinner.
Seeing that it was meat again tonight, Zhao Qinghuai raised an eyebrow: "Are you planning to eat a whole pig in just a few days?"
Lin Ying knew Zhao Qinghuai was teasing her on purpose, but she wasn't angry. While drinking her pork rib soup, she calmly replied, "How could that be? I met that tiger again on the mountain today. It gave me a roe deer, and I can't even finish eating it all."
Zhao Qinghuai was speechless for a moment.
He never expected Lin Ying to be so capable, that even tigers would bring her food.
“I won’t be coming back tomorrow night. Wang Shan has been there for the past few days. I’ve had two days of rest, and it’s time for me to take over.”
Lin Ying nodded, indicating she was already used to Zhao Qinghuai's frequent absences: "Okay, how long will it take?"
Zhao Qinghuai said, "I probably won't be back for the next month. Things will be easier for the next two months after the patrol mission ends."
Lin Ying paused: "Then you won't be able to eat meat?"
Zhao Qinghuai was both amused and exasperated: "Pretty much."
Lin Ying thought for a moment and said, "When I have time, I'll make some meat sauce and send it to you."
Zhao Qinghuai was reluctant: "Why bother with this? It's not safe on the road. It's slippery and cold, and there are wolves on the road."
Lin Ying then said, "Never mind then."
Zhao Qinghuai felt a lump in his throat again, and once again felt that he was not valued.
Lin Ying laughed heartily at his antics.
That night, Zhao Qinghuai finally felt valued by Lin Ying again, and he tidied up contentedly, holding her in his arms to sleep.
Lin Ying never expected that this man would be so childish and hold a grudge.
She was convinced. This man was busy all day and still causing trouble at night. Wasn't he tired?
She's physically fit enough to fight a tiger, so why is she not as good as him in this matter?
If Zhao Qinghuai knew what Lin Ying was thinking, he would probably be even more arrogant. Lin Ying didn't know that even though she was now as strong as an ox, Zhao Qinghuai had real skills, so she naturally couldn't gain the upper hand over him.
When Lin Ying woke up rubbing her back, Zhao Qinghuai had already left.
Lin Ying has a lot of stuff at home and doesn't plan to go up the mountain. She plans to get a few baskets for dried fruit today, and order a few wooden baskets, then get some soil to plant some vegetables.
The baskets woven from Ula grass are different from those woven from willow twigs and bamboo strips; they need to be crocheted using obtuse-angled needles.
Lin Ying saw this weaving method when she saw Uncle Wu weaving in the commune. Uncle Wu saw that she was watching her carefully and even taught her how to do it.
Uncle Wu was an honest man; he didn't hide anything from her just because they sold this, and even gave her a blunt-angled needle as a gift.
"These materials are readily available everywhere, and you can make them yourself at home in the winter when you have nothing to do, saving you money!"
Lin Ying knew that Uncle Wu was a farmer, and although they were now selling straw mats to supplement their income, they felt that these things could be made by themselves and there was no need to spend money to buy them.
Therefore, after becoming familiar with Lin Ying, he treated her as one of his own, which is why he said those things.
However, Lin Ying felt that she wouldn't have done it herself if it weren't for the fact that she wouldn't be able to go to town for another month.
There were ready-made ones, and a basket only cost a few cents, so she really didn't want to bother.
Early in the morning, Lin Ying got up and opened all the windows and curtains to ventilate the house. She gathered up the ula grass she needed outside, and only after returning home did she close the windows and doors.
I waited for the room to warm up before taking off my coat. I then sat in the living room and busied myself.
The weather is a bit gloomy today; Lin Ying thinks it might snow. She wonders how Grandpa is doing. Zhao Qinghuai said Grandpa is doing well, and since Lin Ying can't visit him, she can only trust what Zhao Qinghuai says.
While lost in thought, Lin Ying began weaving a basket.
She was a little awkward at first, but by the second one, she was already quite adept.
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