Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Apprenticeship Ceremony

There is strength in numbers. This saying is indeed true.

Six people peeled crabs together. After a while, they had finished peeling crabs in two large buckets. The washbasin was full, and they also filled two large bowls of soup.

The next step is to make the crab sauce.

Mrs. Zhang said, "I have already cleaned the glass jar from last time. I will go home and get it now."

Meng Yufei asked: "Sister-in-law, do you have any jars at home?"

Mrs. Zhang said, "Well, there are two empty glass jars at home. I'll take them over."

Xiao Zhang said, "I have quite a few empty cans there too. One of my comrades-in-arms grew delicious pears there, so he sent me a box of canned pears last year. The empty cans are still under my bed, so I'll get them now."

Zhou Wenqian said: "I'll go with you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Zhengliu immediately said, "I'll go with you too."

"What are you going to do?" Xiao Zhang looked at him sideways.

Zhao Zhengliu smiled and said, "It's getting dark, I'm worried about you two girls walking at night."

Xiao Zhang said unhappily, "Captain Zhao, this is the military family compound! There's nothing to worry about. Besides, Wen Qian and I have both been soldiers for several years."

Zhou Wenqian also said: "You can wait for us here. Xiao Zhang's place is the dormitory. It's not convenient for a grown man like you to go there."

"Well, I'll wait for you outside. You need to get the jars, so I'll help you move them." Zhao Zhengliu still wanted to go, and continued, "Besides, I have nothing to do here, so let me accompany you."

Zhou Wenqian sighed slightly and said, "Okay."

Zhao Zhengliu smiled, took Zhou Wenqian's hand and said, "Let's go quickly." Then he pulled her out.

Xiao Zhang rolled his eyes behind him.

It didn't take much effort to cook the crab sauce. By the time the three of them brought the jars back, Meng Yufei had already cooked the crab sauce.

Mrs. Zhang had arrived a long time ago and had already filled two jars of crab sauce. She made a lot of crab sauce today, so Meng Yufei gave Mrs. Zhang two large jars.

"Thank you, sister. I will go to the post office tomorrow to mail a jar to Weidong. Last time, the boy ate the crab sauce you made, and he asked me to make it for him when I have time." Mrs. Zhang said with a smile.

Meng Yufei said: "Sister-in-law, why are you being so polite to me? Wei Dong likes it, we will make it next time."

Mrs. Zhang said, "This crab sauce is delicious, but it takes too much effort to make it once."

Meng Yufei said: "Next time, I'll have to trouble my sister-in-law to come over and help me."

Mrs. Zhang smiled and said, "Call me anytime if you need me."

After packing the crab sauce, Mrs. Zhang came to help mess up the kitchen again. There were still a lot of crab shells left. When they cooled down, they smelled fishy. If they were not cleaned up in time in this weather, they would attract flies soon.

Xia Junshan took the cleaned crab shells, carried them out and threw them into the garbage dump.

Mrs. Zhang and Meng Yufei wiped the table carefully again with hot water.

Xiao Zhang walked in front and when he saw the clean kitchen, he exclaimed, "You guys are so fast."

Zhao Zhengliu followed behind with a box of empty cans and asked, "Where should we put these cans?"

Meng Yufei pointed to the stove and said, "Put the box on the ground first. By the way, are these cans clean?"

Xiao Zhang said: "I have washed it before, it is clean."

Meng Yufei nodded: "Then start pretending."

Zhao Zhengliu put down the box, took out a can and handed it to Meng Yufei. Looking at the size of the can, he smiled and said, "Comrade Xiao Zhang, your comrade is an honest man. This can is quite big, so I'll put a lot of pears in it for you."

Xiao Zhang snorted and said, "My friends are all honest people. They don't like dealing with those who are slick-tongued."

Zhao Zhengliu: “…”

The remaining crab sauce was packed into eight glass jars, each weighing nearly one pound.

Including the two jars of crab sauce for Mrs. Zhang, this time they boiled nearly ten kilograms of crab sauce. It was worth it for so many people to be busy for so long.

Xiao Zhang and Zhou Wenqian were each given two jars of crab sauce.

Xiao Zhang took it with a smile and said, "It seems that this time, because of my honest comrade, I took advantage of Sister Meng. Look at this full jar."

Meng Yufei smiled and said, "This is a reward for your hard work for so long."

Zhou Wenqian looked at the two large jars of crab sauce and only took one jar. "Sister Meng, we have a small family and can't eat so much. One jar is enough."

She knew that Xiao Zhang took two jars because he had to go to the market to give someone a gift tomorrow.

Meng Yufei said, "When you go back, put the lid on tightly and scoop it out with a clean spoon every time you eat. You can eat it for a long time."

"Besides, this is the apprenticeship gift I'm giving you on behalf of Qinqin. You can't refuse it. Besides, your whole family has been busy here for a long time today."

Zhao Zhengliu heard the family laughing, reached out and took the jar of crab sauce, and said, "Sister-in-law, this jar is a reward for me."

Meng Yufei smiled and said, "Okay, after all, I'll just give it to your family."

Zhou Wen Qian glanced at the smiling man beside her, pursed her lips, and said nothing.

After seeing the guests off, Meng Yufei breathed a sigh of relief. Well, I'm finally done for the day.

Xia Junshan closed the door and turned around to see Meng Yufei rubbing her neck. He walked over and whispered, "Are you tired?"

"Well, a little bit. It's mainly because I kept my head down for too long today." Meng Yufei said as she bent down.

Xia Junshan pulled her to sit on the sofa and said, "Sit down, I'll give you a massage."

On the sofa, Meng Yufei tilted her head back and comfortably enjoyed Xia Junshan's massage, praising him: "You are quite good at massage."

"Of course. I'm very familiar with the acupuncture points and joints of the human body. I'll press them for you often in the future. Press them a few more times. It will be more comfortable after you get familiar with the strength." Xia Junshan stood and talked while his hands kept moving.

Meng Yufei smiled and said, "It seems that you have learned a lot of skills in the army."

She counted on her fingers and said, "I can mop the floor, wash clothes, fold the quilt, and give massages..."

Xia Junshan said: "These are all skills that are suitable for daily life."

"Yes, yes, thank you for the organization's training." Meng Yufei nodded with a smile.

The three people left with four cans of crab sauce. When they reached the intersection, Zhou Wenqian insisted on sending Xiao Zhang back to the dormitory, and Zhao Zhengliu had no choice but to follow her.

Xiao Zhang held a glass jar in one hand and said with a smile: "Oh, the people in Haishi still know how to eat. This crab sauce is unique and thoughtful to give as a gift."

Zhou Wenqian smiled and said, "Then I wish you a successful start tomorrow."

Xiao Zhang raised his chin and said, "As the saying goes, if you eat someone's food, you will be soft-hearted. If you receive someone's gift tomorrow, you should at least have a closer relationship with me."

Zhou Wenqian nodded: "Affirmative."

After sending Xiao Zhang back to the dormitory, Zhao Zhengliu, who had been silent until now, asked, "Who are you going to give a gift to tomorrow, Xiao Zhang?"

Zhou Wenqian answered perfunctorily: "Yes, a friend of hers."

"That friend is a man, right?" Zhao Zhengliu said with certainty.

Zhou Wenqian looked at him in surprise and asked, "How did you know that?"

Zhao Zhengliu shrugged: "I guessed."

You can tell from the tone and expression in Xiao Zhang's words just now.

Zhou Wenqian thought about it and told him, "Don't go out and say anything nonsense. This matter hasn't even been decided yet."

Zhao Zhengliu laughed and said, "Who can I tell? But who is the person that Xiao Zhang likes? Is he in our army?"

Zhou Wenqian shook her head.

Zhao Zhengliu smacked his lips and said, "Tsk, this Xiao Zhang, there are so many good guys in our army, but you don't want to find him, but find an outsider."

Zhou Wenqian glared at him and said, "Why do you care so much? There are so many good guys out there, why didn't you introduce a few to her before?"

Zhao Zhengliu laughed and said, "How dare I? Every time she sees me, my nose is not a nose, and my eyes are not glasses. She would scold me for a long time when I say something. If I say I want to introduce her to someone, she would think I have bad intentions."

"You have a lot of opinions about my friend?" Zhou Wen Qian glanced at him, her handsome brows furrowed in displeasure.

Zhao Zhengliu said hurriedly, "How could that be? You're overthinking. By the way, didn't you just say that the person Xiao Zhang likes is from the island? Which unit is he from?"

Zhou Wenqian said calmly: "Don't guess, it's not someone you know."

Zhao Zhengliu nodded: "Okay, anyway, if it works in the future, we will know then."

The two of them walked on the way home under the moonlight, and it was a rare occasion that they talked so much.

The next day was the weekend, and Meng Yufei took a rare nap.

Xia Junshan got up early and went out for a run. He bought some buns from the canteen and brought back Qinqin's milk for the day.

Just as he put the things on the dining table, he heard the door open. He turned around and saw his sleepy daughter.

The little girl was wearing pajamas and slippers, yawning, her hair was messy and scattered on her shoulders, and there was a sleep mark on her pink cheek, and no one knew where she had rested her head.

Xia Qinqin walked to the master bedroom next door in a daze and pushed the door, but it didn't open. She subconsciously raised her hand to knock on the door, but was stopped by a pair of big hands.

"dad……"

"Tsk..."

As soon as Xia Qinqin opened her mouth, she saw Xia Junshan put his finger to his mouth and whispered, "Mom is sleeping, let's not disturb her, okay?"

"Uh-huh!"

Xia Qinqin covered her mouth with her hands and nodded her head vigorously.

Xia Junshan took his daughter's hand and took her to the faucet to brush her teeth and wash her face. Then he went back to the small room and picked up a small bottle of facial cream on the table, which was specially placed there by Meng Yufei.

"Dad, I can do it myself. I know how to apply perfume." Xia Qinqin raised her hand and said.

"Okay, do it yourself." Xia Junshan handed her the cream with a smile.

The lid was already opened, and Xia Qinqin imitated Meng Yufei's previous movements, scooping out a little white cream with her index finger, and dotting a few drops on her cheeks, forehead, and chin. Then she used the palms of both hands to gently pat it.

"Okay." She clapped her hands contentedly.

Xia Junshan kept watching his daughter's actions with a smile, and when she said yes, he put the lid of the facial cream on her.

"Are you hungry? Let's go have dinner." Xia Junshan asked her.

Xia Qinqin shook her head: "I want to wait for my mother to have breakfast together."

"Okay, drink the milk first."

"oh."

When Meng Yufei woke up, she looked at the sky outside the window and was startled. Then she remembered that today was the weekend and relaxed again.

I picked up the watch on the bedside table and looked at the time. It was almost eight o'clock.

I slept a little too much today.

She stood up and felt a slight soreness in her waist.

When I opened the door, I saw two people, one adult and one child, sitting on the sofa in the living room, playing chess.

"Mom, you're awake!" Xia Qinqin shouted in surprise when she saw Meng Yufei coming out.

Meng Yufei smiled and nodded gently, and asked: "Have you eaten?"

"No, my dad and I are waiting for my mom to have dinner together." Xia Qinqin jumped down from the sofa while speaking, and was pulled by the quick-eyed and quick-handed Xia Junshan.

She trotted over to Meng Yufei, smiled and said, "I drank the milk. Dad brought it back for me from the cafeteria. I also put on perfume myself today."

"Qinqin is awesome. Mommy will go wash up, and we'll have dinner later." Meng Yufei touched her daughter's hair. It was the ponytail that Xia Junshan had tied for her, and it looked pretty natural.

"Yeah, okay."

Xia Qinqin nodded and followed Meng Yufei, watching her mother brush her teeth and wash her face, then followed her back to the bedroom to comb her hair, like a little tail.

Just as the family of three was sitting at the dining table eating, there was a knock on the door. Xia Junshan walked over to open the door, looked down and saw the person coming, and said with a smile: "Yan Nan, you are here so early, come in quickly, we are eating, have you eaten yet?"

Lu Yannan said: "Good morning, Uncle Xia, I have already eaten."

Xia Junshan led the person in and pointed at the sofa and said, "Sit down for a while."

Meng Yufei saw Lu Yannan and greeted him with a smile: "Good morning, Yannan, do you want to eat something else?"

Lu Yannan said, "Good morning, Aunt Meng. I'm full."

Xia Qinqin also greeted with a smile: "Good morning, Brother Yannan."

"morning."

Lu Yannan walked to the sofa and sat down. He noticed the unfinished chess game on the coffee table and looked down. The red chess piece was obviously Xia Qinqin's. She played chess as she pleased and had her own set of rules.

Xia Qinqin finished her meal in a few bites and ran over to play with Lu Yannan.

"Brother Yannan, shall we play chess?"

Lu Yannan said, "We are going to Grandma Liu's house today to learn calligraphy. Don't you remember?"

I had agreed with Aunt Liu that the two children would go there every weekend, learning calligraphy for two hours in the morning and painting for two hours in the afternoon.

On weekdays, the two children practice at home by themselves, and on weekends they go to her for guidance. After all, the most important thing about calligraphy and painting is to practice persistently on your own.

Xia Qinqin touched her head and said, "It seems so."

After breakfast, Meng Yufei took Xia Qinqin back to the room to change clothes.

Xia Junshan took out two jars of crab sauce from the kitchen, which he prepared as a gift to Aunt Liu.

Lu Yannan took out two long boxes from his bag, handed them over and put them together with the crab sauce, and said, "This is the apprenticeship gift prepared by my grandfather."

Xia Junshan was surprised and asked, "Your grandfather also knows about this?"

Lu Yannan nodded: "I told him using Uncle Li's office phone."

Meng Yufei just happened to be walking out of the room with Xia Qinqin. Seeing the long box on the table, she asked curiously, "What is this?"

Xia Junshan said: "It is the apprenticeship gift that Master Yannan prepared for him."

"Ah? Kid, didn't we tell you to prepare one for you?" Meng Yufei said, "However, it's only been a few days, how come the stuff was sent from Beijing so quickly?"

Lu Yannan said, "My grandfather asked an uncle he knew here to buy it for me. He brought it over by boat this morning."

"Oh, no wonder." Meng Yufei nodded.

Xia Qinqin pointed at the box curiously and asked, "Brother Yannan, what's in it?"

"It's Hui ink." Lu Yannan said as he opened the box and showed it to her.

Xia Qinqin leaned over curiously and said, "It's black. Hmm, can I eat it?" Chocolate is also black, but it tastes good.

Lu Yannan shook his head: "I can't eat it."

"Ah... you can't eat it." Xia Qinqin's tone was quite disappointed.

Meng Yufei smiled and said, "This is for writing. You can also use it when you learn to paint in the future."

"Oh, okay. What is the other box?" Xia Qinqin asked again.

Lu Yannan said: "It's also an ink strip."

Xia Qinqin asked curiously: "Brother Yannan, why are you holding two of the same things?"

Lu Yannan closed the box and said, "One is your apprenticeship gift, and the other is mine."

Xia Junshan said with a smile: "You kid, haven't we already prepared the apprenticeship gift? Why bother with this and disturb your grandfather..."

Lu Yannan said seriously: "One is to learn to write, and the other is to learn to paint."

Meng Yufei said, "You're right. We originally wanted to trouble Aunt Liu to teach us two subjects, so it's only right that we give her more gifts. Well, it's getting late. Let's go. It's the first day of school, so we can't be late."

When they arrived, Aunt Liu had already tidied the table. She also had a large square dining table at home, but she had removed all the things on it and left the space empty for the child to use as a desk.

Her two twins, plus her two new apprentices, are just enough for each of them to take care of one side.

Captain Song was not at home today because he was working overtime. Tang Jiayi opened the door and welcomed them in with a smile.

Seeing the two jars of crab sauce Xia Junshan took, he was surprised and said, "Oh, this is crab sauce, right? I ate it a few times when I was a child. It tasted very delicious. I still remember it now. Director Meng, where did you buy it? I haven't seen any place selling it."

Meng Yufei said, "I made it myself. I picked up some crabs when I went to the sea yesterday, and I made crab sauce at home in the evening. It's very fresh. You can try it."

Tang Jiayi said: "Director Meng, you can actually make crab sauce, that's amazing."

Meng Yufei smiled and said, "This isn't that complicated. Next time I make it, I'll ask you to come and watch. You'll be able to do it in no time."

Tang Jiayi said: "Then I have to go and learn from him."

Aunt Liu looked at the two jars of crab sauce and smiled, "Thank you for troubling me. This is the most time-consuming thing to do."

Meng Yufei smiled and said, "It's not a big deal. If you like it, I'll send it to you next time."

Then he handed over the two boxes and said, "This is the apprenticeship gift prepared by Yan Nan's grandfather."

Aunt Liu stroked the ink stick and said with emotion: "It's hard to find such good ink these days."

Most people of this era use fountain pens, which come with bottles of ink. It is convenient, but for those who are used to writing with brushes, they still think that ink ground from ink sticks is better.

However, it is indeed difficult to buy good ink nowadays. In this era when only supply and marketing cooperatives and department stores sell things, if they don’t purchase the goods, other people will have nowhere to buy them even if they have money.

Aunt Liu said to Lu Yannan, "Thank you for taking the trouble to find these two inkstones, grandma only needs one, you can take the other one back." Then she handed the box over.

Lu Yannan shook his head and refused to accept it. He said seriously, "One is a gift from me to you as your disciple, and the other is a gift from sister Qinqin to you as your disciple. We are both your disciples. You can't accept one and reject the other."

Looking at the child in front of her with a stern face and speaking with reason, Aunt Liu smiled and nodded, saying, "Okay, since it's your intention, then grandma will accept it."