Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Shrimp Wonton Stew

As soon as Wang Cuilan entered the room, she said, "Xiao Meng, the teacher said there is a job for you, do you want to do it?"

Meng Yufei was a little confused. "Sister Wang, you are kidding me, right? I have only been on the island for two days. How does the teacher know me?"

Wang Cuilan coughed lightly and said, "I heard today that you are a college student. When I went to report my work to the teacher, I heard him say that he wanted to find someone to work in the logistics department of the family courtyard. I thought of you."

"I told the commander about your situation, and he felt that a talent like yours should not be wasted, so he asked you to help out in the logistics department first."

Meng Yufei's eyes turned and she asked tentatively, "Sister Wang, the job that the teacher is talking about is not the finance department, right?"

Wang Cuilan patted her shoulder and said with a smile: "Xiao Meng, you are really smart. If you hadn't told me that he was a college student, you would have guessed it right away. The teacher asked you to start work immediately. Tomorrow I will take you to the logistics department to report to Director Song."

Meng Yufei: "...Why are you in such a hurry, Sister Wang? I just arrived and I don't know what's going on. Can you give me some time to think about it?"

Wang Cuilan was a little embarrassed and said, "How about you go with me tomorrow and we'll talk about it later."

Then he turned to Xia Junshan and said, "Captain Xia, this is also the order from the division commander. You were brought up by the division commander. Hurry up and help persuade your wife."

Xia Junshan smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, if the division commander gave me this mission, I would do it without hesitation, even if it meant risking my life. But my wife is not the division commander's soldier, how can I persuade her?"

Wang Cuilan pointed at him and laughed, "It seems that the head of your family is indeed your wife. No wonder my husband said that you are a henpecked man."

Xia Junshan shrugged and smiled, "I can't refute what the leader said, right? You should discuss our family affairs with her. I'll go get you some tea."

Meng Yufei pulled Wang Cuilan to sit on the sofa, and when she saw the newly changed sofa cover, she couldn't help but praise it.

Wang Cuilan sat on the blue sofa, holding Meng Yufei's hand and sighing: "Hey, Xiao Meng, let me tell you the truth. I guess you also know the financial situation of our family compound..."

Xia Junshan brought two cups of tea and placed them on the tea table, then sat on the sofa next to Meng Yufei and listened together.

Wang Cuilan told Meng Yufei in detail the whole story of the conflict between Captain Qin's family and Accountant Zhou, and also told her what the division commander had conveyed to her. When he told her that she would only be given a formal job after she had resolved the problem, Wang Cuilan felt a little embarrassed.

"Xiao Meng, don't worry. No matter what the outcome of this matter is, I will definitely arrange a job for you. You can come to work in my Women's Committee. Can you just consider it as doing me a favor this time?"

Meng Yufei immediately said, "Sister Wang, what are you talking about? Whether I have a job or not, it is my duty to help you and the family home. Besides, I have to get the tickets myself."

She thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll go to the finance department tomorrow to find out the situation and look at the previous accounts. If I have the ability to solve it, I will definitely not refuse."

Wang Cuilan heard this and said happily, "It's settled then. I'll come to see you tomorrow morning."

After saying that, he picked up the cup on the tea table, drank it all in one gulp, and sighed, "In the end, the teacher is still stingy. He should just give you a formal job. What's the point of letting you deal with this rotten stall without giving you anything?"

Meng Yufei smiled and said, "Master Li is testing me. If you don't know if I am capable of doing the job, then I won't be able to solve the problem."

Wang Cuilan smiled and said, "I'm glad you understand. I'm going back first. You guys stay at home."

Meng Yufei and Xia Junshan stood up and saw her out.

After they left, Xia Junshan asked her, "Are you really determined to go to the logistics department to deal with the broken stall?"

Meng Yufei raised her eyebrows and asked, "Why, you don't believe I can solve it?"

Xia Junshan said: "How could that be? Who is my wife? She handles tens of thousands of dollars every day in Haishi Bank. Our small family compound is no problem."

Meng Yufei smiled and twisted his arm, "You will be poor! Go check on Qinqin and see how she is sleeping. I wonder if we disturbed her by talking just now?"

They tiptoed to the door, opened it, and saw their daughter lying quietly on the bed. Her rosy face was imprinted on the pillow like a dough ball. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly with her breathing. She was sleeping soundly and didn't seem to be affected by the conversation in the living room just now.

"I walked a lot today and I'm tired." Meng Yufei said in a low voice as she closed the door.

Coming to the living room, Meng Yufei said worriedly: "If I go to work, what will happen to Qinqin? I was thinking of taking Qinqin to the kindergarten on the island in a few days. After she goes to school, I will consider work. Now..."

Xia Junshan said: "Otherwise, I will talk to the division commander tomorrow and we won't go for now."

"No," Meng Yufei said, "I'll leave Qinqin at Mrs. Zhang's house next door tomorrow. She had a lot of fun playing with Mrs. Zhang's daughter Fangfang today."

"Yeah, that's fine." Xia Junshan nodded. These days it's very normal for parents to leave their children at their neighbors' homes when they have something to do. Some people are even so brave as to leave their babies with their neighbors to look after them.

————

Qi Huiying returned home with a sullen face. She pushed the gate open with a clang, and the wooden door panel shook.

Deputy Head Chen was hoeing the ground in the courtyard. When he heard the sound, he looked towards the gate and asked, "Why did you come back so soon? Didn't you say you were going to Director Wang's house?"

Qi Huiying looked at her husband, who was wearing a coarse linen shirt and holding a hoe. Beads of sweat were dripping down his dark forehead. A trace of disdain flashed in her eyes, and she frowned and asked, "Why are you wearing such tattered clothes?"

Deputy Head Chen looked down at his old clothes and thought they were pretty good. Although they were a bit old, they had no patches. Nowadays, clothes without patches are considered new clothes.

"I'm paving the floor here, I'm afraid other clothes will get dirty."

"Who asked you to plow the land? You're not planning to grow vegetables in the yard like the guy next door, are you?"

"No, you don't like it, right? Besides, we eat in the cafeteria every day, and no one will eat the vegetables we grow. Didn't you say you wanted to plant flowers? I'll loosen up the soil."

"Just plant the flowers in pots, why bother with this." Qi Huiying said this and turned around and walked into the house.

After a while, Deputy Head Chen came into the room and saw Qi Huiying sitting on the sofa sulking. He asked, "What's wrong with you? Did Director Wang criticize you? Director Wang is an old revolutionary and a serious person. If she said something to you, don't take it to heart. At most, you can just go to her house less often in the future."

Qi Huiying turned around and said, "The commander arranged a job for Captain Xia's family. Did you know about this?"

Deputy Head Chen shook his head. "How would I know that? Who told you that? It seems that Head Xia's family just came two days ago. How could they assign her a job so soon?"

Qi Huiying said angrily: "Wang Cui... Director Wang said it himself, how could it be false?"

Deputy Head Chen: "Did she say what the job was?"

Qi Huiying paused and said, "She didn't say, but what other job is there on this island besides the elementary school teacher position?"

Deputy Regiment Commander Chen naturally knew that Qi Huiying wanted this job very much, and the reason why she had been going to the division commander's and political commissar's homes all this time was also for this job.

He thought this behavior was not good at first, but after several times of persuading Qi Huiying, she ignored him, so he just let her do it. And then he thought, this elementary school teacher is quite leisurely and respectable.

Deputy Head Chen has some patriarchal ideas. He doesn't care whether his wife makes money or not. He thinks it's better for her to stay at home and not have to work in the spotlight. His salary is not enough to support himself.

Seeing Qi Huiying's unhappy face, Deputy Head Chen advised: "Just give it to her. You are a high school student and you are young. Are you afraid of not having a job in the future?"

"On what basis?" Qi Huiying said dissatisfiedly: "I came here before her. Isn't the work arrangement in the family home based on first come first served? Why should she be given the job first?"

She stood up from the sofa in anger, walked up to Deputy Head Chen and said, "Go and ask the teacher for me tomorrow, why did you give the job to her? How am I inferior to her?"

Deputy Captain Chen looked at her in surprise and said, "Are you crazy? You want me to go and ask the commander for such a small matter? In my opinion, let's just forget about it." After saying that, he turned around and went to the yard to wash his face with a towel.

Qi Huiying looked at his back and stomped her feet in anger.

…

The next day, Meng Yufei woke up Xia Qinqin early and helped her wash her face and brush her teeth even though she was still a little confused.

While changing Xia Qinqin's clothes, Meng Yufei said, "Qinqin, Mommy has to go out to work in the morning. Can you go to Aunt Zhang's house next door to play with Sister Fangfang?"

After hearing this, Xia Qinqin hugged Meng Yufei's neck with both hands and said, "Mom, didn't you say you wouldn't go to work?"

Meng Yufei patted her head and explained, "There is a job that Mom needs to handle today. Mom only found out about it last night."

Xia Qinqin buried herself in her mother's arms and whispered, "Mom, can you not go to work? I want to be with you."

Meng Yufei explained softly, "But mom likes to work very much, and only when mom works can she have money to buy new clothes, candy, and toys."

The little Xia Qinqin sighed and said, "Okay, Mom, you go to work."

Meng Yufei kissed her daughter's pink cheek and said with a smile, "Thank you Qinqin for understanding Mommy."

Xia Qinqin smiled shyly and tilted her head and said, "Then mommy, can I take the doll to play with Sister Fangfang?"

The rag doll was sewn by Meng Mu for her granddaughter. She could change clothes and braid braids for it. Xia Qinqin liked it very much and specially brought it from her treasure box when she came here this time.

Meng Yufei nodded and said, "Of course."

They went to the cafeteria for breakfast again. Meng Yufei ordered a bowl of wonton with shrimp filling. Although the shrimps used were the leftover shrimps after the daily harvest, the wonton filling was still very fresh after the shells were removed.

A large bowl of shrimp wonton stew cost me 15 cents, and two boiled eggs cost me 8 cents.

The boiled eggs in the cafeteria are one cent more expensive than those bought from the supply and marketing cooperative, so few people buy boiled eggs here. The cafeteria doesn't stock many every day, and today there were only the last two left, which were bought by Meng Yufei.

Asking her sister-in-law at the window for an extra bowl, Meng Yufei scooped out a small half bowl of wonton into the empty bowl and reminded her daughter: "Blow it when you eat it, be careful not to burn it."

"Yeah, got it."

Meng Yufei picked up a boiled egg, tapped it gently on the table, peeled it and handed it to her daughter.

Xia Qinqin only eats the egg whites of boiled eggs and not the yolks because she thinks the yolks are too choking.

Meng Yufei knew her problem and didn't force her to eat it. She took the egg yolk and ate it herself.