Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Sending Shoes

After dinner, Meng Yufei took out a rag to wipe the table, and Mrs. Zhang came over at this time.

"Girl, I just forgot to tell you something."

Mrs. Zhang came in and saw Xia Junshan washing dishes in the kitchen. She smiled and said, "Oh, Captain Xia is washing dishes at home."

Xia Junshan smiled and nodded in the kitchen, saying, "Sister-in-law is here, please come in and sit down."

Meng Yufei put down the rag in her hand, pulled Mrs. Zhang to sit on the sofa, and asked, "Sister-in-law, what's the matter?"

Mrs. Zhang said, "Look, I just remembered the chive dumplings, but forgot to tell you that the shoes are already made. When can I send them to Jianhong?"

Meng Yufei said: "Sister-in-law, it's done."

Mrs. Zhang said, "I have nothing to do at home every day. How long will it take to make a pair of shoes?"

Meng Yufei said: "Why don't you send it over now? It's too uncomfortable to wear small shoes all the time."

Mrs. Zhang nodded in agreement, "Yes, send it over earlier so the child can wear it earlier. OK, I'll send it over now. Do you want to call Jianhong out in private?"

Meng Yufei said, "The shoes are already made, so just send them over. Jianhong will have to wear them anyway, and their family will know about it sooner or later." She walked to Mrs. Zhang's side and whispered in a low voice, "The important thing is that everyone in this academy knows what they should know. No one will believe what Wei Shufang says next."

Mrs. Zhang said, "Indeed, in just the past two days, the news has spread quietly throughout our family compound. Now Wei Shufang can no longer continue to be her good stepmother."

After Xia Junshan finished washing the dishes, he came out of the kitchen. When Mrs. Zhang saw him coming out, she said to Meng Yufei, "Sister, I'll go home and get the shoes and send them over. Do you want to come with me?"

Meng Yufei said, "I won't go. My sister-in-law can go. I only provided some scraps of cloth for the shoes. They were made by my sister-in-law from beginning to end. You should send them over. Besides, it's just a pair of shoes. If we all go over, it will seem a bit ostentatious."

Mrs. Zhang nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go back first, you guys stay home and get busy."

After seeing off Mrs. Zhang, Xia Junshan asked, "What were you talking about just now? Who were you going to give the shoes to?"

Meng Yufei said, "For Jianhong. We had some scraps of cloth left over from making sofa covers at home. And Mrs. Zhang happened to have a piece of shoe upper at home, so I made a pair of shoes for Jianhong. I wanted to thank her for saving Qinqin and Fangfang."

I also told him the reason for making shoes for Jianhong. "When we went to Director Han's house that day, I noticed that Jianhong's shoes were too small. I wanted to go to the market to buy her a pair of shoes. But then I thought about it and felt that this child was not easy, so I came up with this idea. At least if she has a conflict with Wei Shufang in the future, there will be someone to speak up for her."

Xia Junshan frowned when he heard this. "How could this old Han not care about his own daughter?"

Meng Yufei said calmly, "Jianhong grew up in the countryside. The father and daughter haven't seen each other for so many years, so they probably don't have much affection for each other. He has a new wife and a new son, so how can he care about his daughter?"

Xia Junshan sighed and said, "I guess Han didn't think so much. According to our previous concept, the greatest blessing is for children to have enough food and warm clothes. Who would have thought there would be all these twists and turns?"

Meng Yufei glanced at him and said, "Humph, as expected, you men always speak for other men."

Xia Junshan laughed and said, "No, no, I didn't say I support Han. I strongly condemn his actions. You know I will only speak for you. Whatever you say is what I mean."

Meng Yufei looked at his smiling face, raised the corners of her mouth slightly, pointed at the dining table and said: "Then go and wipe the table."

Xia Junshan immediately said, "Got it, I'll go and wipe it right away."

Mrs. Zhang went home, took out the new shoes, and knocked on the door of Captain Han's house. It was Han Jianping who opened the door. Mrs. Zhang asked, "I'm looking for Jianhong. Can you ask her to come out?"

Han Jianping asked: "Why are you looking for her?"

Mrs. Zhang held up the shoes in her hand and said, "I made her a new pair of shoes. Let her try them on."

Han Jianping glanced at the new shoes and pouted, "Oh, she's not at home."

Mrs. Zhang asked, "Not at home? Then where did she go?"

Han Jianping said impatiently, "How would I know?" and closed the door with a bang.

This child, how can he be so rude!

Mrs. Zhang muttered to herself, turned around and left, preparing to come back tomorrow. It was strange, where would Jianhong go if she was not at home at this time?

Before she even left the hospital, she ran into Captain Han, who had just returned from a meal at his comrade's house. Seeing her, he asked, "Sister-in-law, what are you doing here?"

Mrs. Zhang said, "I'm here to see your Jianhong. Look, Captain Xia's family and I made a pair of shoes for her. Thank her for saving the two children." As she said that, she picked up the shoes in her hand and showed them to him.

Captain Han had drunk some wine and spoke slowly. He said, "What's there to thank me for? You guys have thanked me several times. You are so polite. Sister-in-law, come in and have a glass of water."

Then he opened the door and shouted into the house, "Jianhong, Jianhong, Sister Zhang made a pair of shoes for you, come out and thank her."

Mrs. Zhang said from behind him, "Your Jianhong is not at home. I will come over tomorrow."

Before she finished her words, Han Jianhong came out of the house. Mrs. Zhang asked curiously, "Jianhong, are you home?"

Han Jianhong nodded, walked up to Mrs. Zhang and said, "Auntie, do you want to talk to me about something?"

Mrs. Zhang handed her the new shoes and said, "Oh, didn't God say to make shoes for you? The shoes are already made. Try them on to see if they fit your feet. If there's anything that doesn't fit, tell me and I'll make some changes for you."

Han Jianhong looked down at the new shoes in his hands, a little dazed, and said after a moment: "Thank you, Auntie!"

Mrs. Zhang waved her hands and said, "What are you thanking me for? This is a thank-you gift from your aunt. By the way, what were you doing at home just now? Why did Jianping say you were not at home?"

Han Jianhong said: "I'm washing dishes in the kitchen."

Mrs. Zhang was angry and said, "Then why did she say you were not at home? No, I have to go ask her."

As she said this, she rushed into the room with great momentum. Captain Han was sitting on the sofa to rest. He hadn't drunk alcohol for a long time. He felt dizzy after drinking two glasses of alcohol during dinner. Wei Shufang poured him a glass of water.

Mrs. Zhang asked unhappily as she entered the room, "Where is your Jianping?"

Wei Shufang saw her angry expression and asked curiously, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong with you? How did our Jianping offend you?"

Mrs. Zhang said, "Just now I knocked on the door and it was your Jianping who opened the door. I told her I was looking for Jianhong, but she lied and said she wasn't home and even closed the door. But Jianhong was washing dishes in the house. What do you think Jianping meant? I am an elder after all, and I didn't argue with a little girl even though she was rude. I didn't expect her to lie to me!"

Mrs. Zhang said a lot of things at once, and Wei Shufang said awkwardly, "Sister-in-law, I'm sorry, Jianping is still young and naive, please don't argue with the child."

Mrs. Zhang said angrily, "Children are young and ignorant, so adults need to teach them well. I have seen many naughty children in our courtyard, but I have never seen anyone as liar as Jianping."

Wei Shufang's face froze, and she said in a somewhat unhappy tone: "Sister-in-law, what you said is too serious. Just now, the two sisters had a quarrel, and Jianping was angry for a moment, so she told you that Jianhong was not at home."

Mrs. Zhang sneered, "You are such a child."

Head Han put down the cup in his hand, stood up and walked over and said, "Sister-in-law, you are right. We adults really did not teach our children well. I apologize to you here." He turned to Wei Shufang and said, "Call Jianping out to apologize to sister-in-law."

Seeing his serious expression, Wei Shufang swallowed the words she wanted to say to refute him, turned around and went into the room to call Jianping to come out and apologize to Mrs. Zhang.

Han Jianping pouted in dissatisfaction and was forced by her mother to come out and apologize reluctantly.

Mrs. Zhang was not the kind of person who would not forgive others even if she was unreasonable. After hearing Han Jianping's apology, she did not continue to embarrass the girl.

He spoke a few more words to Jianhong and then went home.

After she left, Han Jianping ran back to the room feeling wronged. Wei Shufang looked at the shoes in Han Jianhong's hand, frowned, and said with a smile: "Jianhong, next time you want to wear new shoes, just tell me, don't ask others for them. If others know about this, they will think that our family can't afford to make a pair of shoes."

Wei Shufang's words sounded weird. It was obvious that Mrs. Zhang wanted to thank Han Jianhong for taking the initiative to make shoes for her, but in Wei Shufang's words, it became Han Jianhong who shamelessly asked others for shoes.

The funny thing is, although the news of Wei Shufang’s harassment of Han Jianhong has spread privately in the family compound, Wei Shufang herself is still unaware of it. After all, no one has the nerve to talk to her about it in person.

At this time, Head Han spoke up: "Shufang, didn't you say last time that Jianhong would make her own clothes in the future? Did you give her the cloth coupons and money?"

Wei Shufang said, "Well, I have packed everything. I have been very busy these past two days and haven't had time to give it to you yet."

Head Han said, "Then go and give it to Jianhong now. The weather is getting hot, so it's time to make two short-sleeved shirts."

Seeing his gloomy face, Wei Shufang nodded honestly and said, "Okay, okay."

Han Jianhong held the cloth coupons and money that Wei Shufang had reluctantly handed over to her in her left hand and the new shoes in her right hand. She felt a little dazed. It turned out that it was not that difficult to get back what belonged to her.

—————

The next morning, Xia Junshan got up early before dawn and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Take out the steamed bread that you didn't eat last night from the cupboard and cut it into slices. Beat two eggs and mix them in a bowl, then put the steamed bread slices in and coat them with the egg mixture.

Light the coal stove, heat the pan, add oil, and then put the steamed buns coated with egg liquid into the pan and fry them.

After using the coal stove, I found that it is really useful, especially for people who cook alone. If you use an earthen stove, you have to light the fire under the stove while cooking on the stove, which is very hectic.

Hearing the noise in the kitchen, Meng Yufei woke up, got up and walked out of the room.

Through the dim light of the kitchen, Xia Junshan was seen bending over in front of the coal stove, flipping steamed buns with a pair of chopsticks.

Xia Junshan heard the familiar footsteps, looked up and said with a smile: "I woke you up."

Meng Yufei smiled and shook her head, then walked over to watch him cook and whispered, "It smells so good."

Xia Junshan said, "It smells good, right? I saw others making it when I was a kid, and I still can't forget the smell after all these years."

Meng Yufei smiled and said, "These eggs and steamed buns are good things, but they are not that hard to come by now. We can make them often in the future."

Xia Junshan nodded and said, "Okay, I'll make more for you in the future. This is ready, let me get the plate and put it on."

"Let me get it." Meng Yufei entered the kitchen, took out a plate and held it next to him. Xia Junshan used chopsticks to pick up the fried steamed buns one by one.

Xia Junshan brought the last piece to Meng Yufei's mouth and said, "Try it and see how it tastes. Be careful not to burn it."

Meng Yufei lowered her head and took a bite. Her eyes lit up and she nodded and praised, "It's delicious, fragrant and crispy." She passed the chopsticks to him and smiled, "Try it too."

Xia Junshan smiled and lowered his head to take a bite of the place she had just bitten, then nodded and said, "It is indeed very fragrant."

The couple were eating steamed bread slices in the kitchen, taking turns to eat them.

Xia Junshan glanced at the sky outside the window, which was starting to lighten. He glanced at his watch and said, "Take your time to eat. I have to go to practice. Wait until Qinqin wakes up and then heat up the steamed bun."

Meng Yufei said, "Wait a minute." She quickly got up and poured a cup of hot water. The water was boiled last night and kept in the thermos overnight. The water was still very hot.

"Drink two sips of hot water. You just ate something greasy, or you'll be choked by the wind when you go out." This was what Meng's mother told her children since they were young.

Xia Junshan enjoyed Meng Yufei's concern for him. He smiled and nodded, took the cup, drank two sips of hot water, and went out.

Meng Yufei put the steamed bread slices on the plate into the cupboard. Seeing that it was still early and she didn't want to go to bed, she began to clean the kitchen and washed the pot first. There was oil in the pot, so she had to wash it with hot water.

When Xia Qinqin woke up, she saw her mother sitting at the dressing table in front of the window, braiding her hair.

In the past, Meng Yufei would simply pull her hair back into a low ponytail to save trouble. Today, she got up early, so she braided her hair into a side braid and used a scarf to weave it in. The colorful scarf was intertwined between her black and smooth hair.

"Mom." Xia Qinqin shouted.

Meng Yufei heard the voice, turned around and smiled, "Wake up, Dad made steamed bread slices this morning. Let's go eat it after Mom finishes combing her hair, okay?"

"Yeah, okay~" Xia Qinqin nodded.

Meng Yufei quickened the movements of her hands, and after braiding her hair, she walked to the bed, carried Xia Qinqin out of bed, and took her to wash up.

Xia Qinqin touched her mother's braid and said with a smile, "Mom's braid is so beautiful. Qinqin wants it too." As she spoke, she touched her hair which was a little messy from sleeping.

Meng Yufei smiled and nodded, "Okay, Mom will make you the same one later, okay?"

"Mmm, nice."

After helping Xia Qinqin wash up, Meng Yufei brought the hot steamed bread slices to the dining table and said to her daughter who was sitting on the chair, "Try it quickly and see if Daddy's cooking is delicious."

Xia Qinqin leaned over and sniffed it with her little nose, "Wow, it smells so good!"

She picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of steamed bread, put it into her mouth, and ate it with relish.

Meng Yufei poured a cup of hot water into Xia Qinqin's special teacup so that she could drink it after she finished eating.

Xia Qinqin was sitting on a chair and eating happily, while Meng Yufei was braiding her hair behind her.

"Mom, I want to add a scarf, too. It will look nice."

"Okay, got it."

Meng Yufei went back to the room, took out a thin silk scarf, and braided a braid for Xia Qinqin just like her own. There was still a long section of the scarf left after braiding, so she tied a bow at the end of her hair.

As soon as the mother and daughter entered the office today, Xiao Zhang looked at their similar hairstyles and praised them repeatedly: "Wow, Sister Meng, your hair looks so good today. How did you think of adding a scarf? It's so fashionable."

Meng Yufei smiled and said, "You can try it next time. It's very simple." Then she told Xiao Zhang in detail how to braid the braid.

Xiao Zhang heard this and said, "I will try it tomorrow. I only wore the scarves for two days at first, but then kept them at home. Now they can finally be put to use."

After discussing the hairstyle, the two began to work. Xia Qinqin also sat on the chair with a book in her hand and started reading. After a while, Meng Yufei called her to the window to look at the scenery outside and relax her eyes.

After a day's work, the two of them finally sorted out the tickets of the 103 households in the family compound and recorded them in a book. From then on, when they issued the tickets every month, they just had to follow the instructions.

Xiao Zhang let out a long sigh, stretched his waist and said, "Oh, it's finally done! Sister Meng, shall we start issuing invoices tomorrow?"

Meng Yufei nodded and said, "Send it."

Xiao Zhang said, "Okay, we've been delayed for so long this month, and everyone's life is a bit tight, so I'll send it to everyone right away so they can be happy."

Meng Yufei glanced at her watch. It was five o'clock, and there was still half an hour before get off work ended. She said to Xiao Zhang, "I'm going to go to the Women's Committee in front to talk to Director Wang about tomorrow's invoice. If you have nothing else to do, you can go home first."

Xiao Zhang said, "I'll go with you."

Meng Yufei nodded and said, "Okay."

The two packed up their things and left the office, bringing Xia Qinqin to the Women's Committee.

As soon as they reached the door, they heard a quarrel inside and the two looked at each other.

"You wicked woman, you treat me harshly when my son is not at home. You are committing a sin!"

"Mom, I've already told you that this month's meat coupons haven't been issued yet. We can't buy meat without coupons."

"Bah! Do you think I don't know that I've given you all the good things in the house? My son is a military officer, and we don't have meat to eat. Who would believe me if I told anyone else?"

"If you don't believe it, wait until your son returns from his mission and ask him."

"Oh my God, when my son comes back, I will let him divorce you, the wicked woman!"

Wang Cuilan scolded him, "Auntie, in this society, there is no such thing as divorcing your wife."

The noise inside stopped for a few seconds, and soon the sound of an old woman crying was heard again.

Meng Yufei and Xiao Zhang stood at the door and listened for a few words. They guessed that there was a conflict between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law. Xiao Zhang whispered, "Sister Meng, are we still going in?"

Meng Yufei said, "Since you're here, come in."

When they entered the room, they saw an old woman sitting on the floor inside, crying and making a fuss. She pointed her finger at and cursed at the middle-aged woman standing nearby, who looked helpless and annoyed as she listened to her cursing.

Wang Cuilan and a staff member of the Women's Committee were persuading the old lady who was sitting on the ground to get up.

When Wang Cuilan saw Meng Yufei and Xiao Zhang, she quickly put the old woman down, walked to the door and asked, "Why are you here? Come in."

Meng Yufei said: "Director Wang, we are here to report something to you. The project has been cleared up and the invoice can be issued tomorrow."

Wang Cuilan smiled and said, "Really? You guys are really quick." She pulled Meng Yufei to introduce her to the quarreling mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the room, "This is Director Meng from the Finance Section of the Logistics Department. She came to tell us a good news. We can issue the invoice tomorrow."

The old woman stopped yelling, and the middle-aged woman next to her said helplessly: "Mom, let me tell you, this month's tickets haven't been issued yet. I'll give you the meat tickets when the tickets are issued tomorrow, okay?"

The old woman snorted and said, "Why do I need your meat? It's obviously you who is abusing your mother-in-law."

Director Wang frowned and stepped forward and said, "Okay, Aunt Xue, the invoices will be issued tomorrow. You can go home first."

Aunt Xue stood up and patted her buttocks and said, "I am not a greedy person. I am here to judge the situation. Which daughter-in-law treats her mother-in-law like this..."

Director Wang took a deep breath and said, "Okay, I know what you mean. You misunderstood your daughter-in-law. The family home has not issued any invoices this month. You should go back today. Director Meng and I have something to discuss."

After finally seeing off the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, Director Wang led Meng Yufei and Xiao Zhang to sit down and said with a smile, "Hurry up and sit down. Oh, I didn't notice just now, but you two look really good in your hair today."

Xiao Zhang said, "Director Wang, you think it looks good too. I also learned from Sister Meng and will do this braid tomorrow. Why don't you give it a try after your hair grows longer?"

Director Wang touched his athletic hair and said with a smile, "This braid is more suitable for you young people. It won't look good at my age. Besides, I'm used to this short hair. It's very convenient."

Xiao Zhang laughed and said, "Director Wang, you are exaggerating. I don't think you look much older than us."

Director Wang nodded at her and said with a smile, "This little Zhang, you are the sweetest. How could your Section Chief Chen be willing to give you to Xiao Meng?"

Xiao Zhang smiled and said nothing. Meng Yufei said, "I have to thank Section Chief Chen for his support for my work. Seeing that I was new here and didn't know anything, he specially assigned Xiao Zhang, a capable person, to me. Now, the work that I originally expected to take a week to complete was completed in two days after she came."

Director Wang nodded and said, "Xiao Zhang has gone to the right place. This time he has helped the families of the family hospital a lot."

Meng Yufei said, "Director Wang, I came here today to talk to you about issuing invoices. I just came here and don't know much about the families, so I wanted to take advantage of your help to issue the invoices."

Director Wang asked curiously, "Oh? Then how do you want to borrow it?"