Mrs. Ge's home

The three Lin brothers had just finished lunch and were taking a rest when they suddenly heard their sister's voice. They thought they had misheard.

Lin Yiyi: "Grandma Ge, the first army, the third army, the fourth army..."

Lin Dajun: "I seem to hear our sister's voice."

Lin Sanjun: “Yeah.”

Lin Sijun: "My sister can't ride a bike, so she won't come. My brother-in-law hasn't had his day off yet. I miss my sister too, and there's nothing to do in the field. Let's go to the county town to visit her this week."

Lin Dajun: "Well, it's only the beginning of the month, my sister must still have some meat left, we can still go eat some meat."

Lin Sijun: "I want to go early."

Lin Yiyi: "Grandma Ge, the Great Army, the Third Army, the Fourth Army, are you not here?"

Old Lady Ge came out of the house and said, "Yes, yes, the children are resting."

Lin Yiyi: "Grandma Ge."

Lin Dajun, who was taking a break, said: "It seems to be our sister." He hurried out and saw Lin Yiyi and Qin Xiangju already at the door carrying things. "Sister." Lin Dajun's eyes lit up.

Lin Yiyi said: "I've been calling you for a long time, but the Third Army and the Fourth Army are not here?"

Lin Sijun: "Sister, we are here. What did you bring us?"

Lin Yiyi: "It's getting cold, so I brought you the cotton coat and trousers I told you about. They're military green, the color the PLA wears. Don't they look good?"

Lin Dajun happily compared the clothes, Lin Sanjun held them in his arms and sniffed them, and Lin Sijun put on his clothes immediately.

Lin Yiyi said to Old Lady Ge: "Grandma Ge, I brought half a pound of oil, a pound of meat, a pound of eggs, two pounds of flour, and food for the army. Thank you for taking care of the army. The meat and eggs will be a side dish for you."

Old Lady Ge said, "Yiyi, you are such a good sister. The army is so lucky to have a sister like you." In this day and age, whose sister is so polite? She gives her brother meat every month.

Lin Yiyi stayed at Old Lady Ge's house for a while, then went to Xiao's house for lunch. The younger brothers of the Lin family were reluctant to leave, so they followed them. Then the three of them wore military green cotton jackets, which were made for big boys because they were growing up. In this era, clothes could not be worn for only one year. Three half-grown boys in a row, wearing the same color cotton jackets, still looked good. Together with the fifth brother Lin wearing a royal blue coat, the four brothers walked sideways holding hands, blocking the road, but they were happy.

Old Mrs. Ge looked at their backs and sighed, "This is fate. Dajun and the others have to say that they are lucky to have a sister who is promising and can take care of them."

Lin Yiyi was in front of them, wearing black corduroy pants, a beige sweater, a black cotton vest, and cloth shoes, looking like an artistic girl.

Qin Xiangju occasionally turned her head to look at her daughter-in-law. She had grown flesh, and her pale face was now rosy and energetic. Looking at her dress, Qin Xiangju sighed slightly. It was no wonder that the eldest daughter-in-law was jealous. Thinking back to Lin Yiyi before marriage, there was a huge gap between her and now.

When we arrived at Xiao's house, Grandma Xiao had already prepared noodles with shredded pork, green onions and fried dough sticks, which were very fragrant.

After finishing her noodles, Lin Yiyi chatted with the elders of the Xiao family for a while, and then said to the younger brothers of the Lin family: "Dajun, I came here this time to discuss something with you brothers."

Lin Dajun: "Sister, what's the matter?"

Lin Yiyi: "Sister wants to write more articles before the New Year to earn some money, but there is no one to take care of Wujun. Moreover, Wujun has no one to accompany him in the county town, and he will be lonely. You brothers are not together, how can you cultivate brotherhood in the future? Besides, Wujun will be three years old after the New Year. He has grown up and it is not suitable for him to sleep with you and your brother-in-law. So, sister thought about it, and you three brothers will take turns, one of you will live in the county town every week, and then take care of Wujun. Dajun, you are the eldest brother, what do you think?"

Lin Dajun: “Okay.” Living in the county town = having delicious food, how could he not agree?

Lin Yiyi said this at the Xiao family, and the Xiao family was there too, so they all heard it. Qi Bo pouted, and couldn't help but say in his heart, "The villain is getting ahead."

County

Xiao Yu had hardly had a good sleep in the past half month. He and Director Yang followed the clues to the border between the north and the south, and worked with the public security there to formulate a detailed plan. The public security there even used their own children as bait to catch that group of people. They rescued the few children who could be rescued, but some had been passed around several times and could no longer be found.

In fact, the pressure of this plan was very high. After all, they used the police officer's child as bait. Although it was the police officer himself who proposed it, they were afraid that something might happen to the child. Fortunately, the plan was very successful.

When he got home, he found the door locked and his wife was not at home.

"Comrade Xiao Yu..." Grandma Wang from next door came out, "A daughter-in-law went to the countryside to deliver things to your hometown. She delivered a whole cart of things. This daughter-in-law is the most filial to the elderly I have ever seen. She sent meat and oil to your hometown. You are so lucky to marry such a good wife."

Xiao Yu: "Thank you for telling me, Yi Yi is indeed very good."

There are very few thieves these days. In some places, especially in rural areas, people don't even lock their doors, except for the kitchen cupboards.

Xiao Yu was too lazy to go to the Public Security Bureau to rest. At this time, his wife would be back soon, and he knew that Lin Yiyi would not stay overnight in her hometown.

Lin Yiyi came back in the production team's ox cart. She paid the fare in the county town and brought Lin Sijun with her on the way back. She decided to let Lin Sijun sleep with Lin Wudi. Even on the way, she was still thinking about what they would eat in the evening.

When I got home, I saw a man sitting at the door, leaning against the door and sleeping. But soon, the man opened his eyes, sobered himself up and stood up: "You're back?"

Lin Yiyi looked at Xiao Yu, and it took her a while to react: "You're finally back." She stepped forward, surprised and concerned, "Did everything go well? Are you not injured? Looking at you like this, have you not had a good rest for a long time?"

Xiao Yu said: "It went smoothly, no injuries, I want to take a rest."

Lin Yiyi wanted to open the door: "I'll boil some water for you first, take a bath and then go to bed."

Xiao Yu: "No, just take a cold shower."

And then…there wasn’t even enough water at home to take a cold shower.

Lin Yiyi: “…” The water here is at the faucet, and you have to fetch water yourself. It’s not like in later generations where every household has a faucet. Lin Yiyi has to fetch water several times a day, but it’s enough.

Xiao Yu: "I'll go fetch some water." He went to the utility room to get a bucket of water. Then, he saw the clothes and pants drying on the clothesline, Lin Yiyi's underwear and bra, and his underwear. He was still a little sleepy, but suddenly he woke up. His wife bought him underwear...

Xiao Yu picked up two buckets of water and poured them into the water tank, then took a cold shower and went back to his room to sleep. When he entered the room, he saw a royal blue low-necked woolen sweater on the bed, which was obviously a man's. He touched it, the material was soft, it was wool, and his heart was itchy.

Lin Sijun took Lin Wujun out to play, but they didn't go far, they just played nearby.

Lin Yiyi first took out the clothes from the utility room to dry, and then went to another room. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was there, she bought two six-pound quilts from the system mall, one for back padding. Otherwise, without a winter quilt at home, how would the two younger brothers sleep? Lin Yiyi came out of the room to prepare dinner. Thinking about Xiao Yu's hard work in the past half month, Lin Yiyi took the basket and went out. She also warned Lin Sijun who was playing outside: "Sijun, sister is going out to buy some things. You take your brother and don't go too far. Be careful of beatings. If there is anything, call someone, understand?"

Lin Sijun: "Hey, I know."

Lin Yiyi: "Be good, I'll give you candies when I come back."

Lin Sijun responded even louder: "Hey."

Lin Yiyi didn't go shopping, she just went to the supply and marketing cooperative and put the things she bought from the system mall into the basket, so that her family would think she bought them from outside. However, she also realized one thing, that with someone taking care of the children at home, it was indeed convenient for her to do anything.

Lin Yiyi came back with a basket and saw Lin Sijun playing with Lin Wudi and other children. In fact, Lin Yiyi had never met other families here. She had only met Grandma Wang. She usually stayed at home to write articles and never went out. So after more than two months, she was still not familiar with others. Seeing Lin Sijun playing with his brother, she said, "Sijun."

Lin Sijun came over with his brother: "Sister."

Lin Yiyi: "Are these the friends you just met?"

Lin Sijun said, "They were playing with cars, and I was watching." There was some envy in his tone. In this era, owning a car was such a prestigious thing.

Lin Yiyi took out a bag of fruit candy from the basket. This was the fruit candy from the 1960s that she had found in the system mall. The candy had several flavors, and the wrappers were in line with the characteristics of that era, with pictures of fruit on them. Lin Yiyi bought a pound of it, spending 13 yuan. As she was unwrapping the candy, the children playing with cars kept looking at them. The children of that era also had a consensus that when the elders in the family went to the supply and marketing cooperative, it meant that there was food, so when the elders came back from the supply and marketing cooperative, the children would greet them and ask for food.

Lin Yiyi gave the candy to Lin Sijun: "Take it and share it with the other kids. Don't be reluctant. I have more here after you finish it."

Lin Sijun: "Hey." He happily took the candy and went over. The other children also heard what Lin Yiyi said, and one of them said, "This is my car. You can play with it."

Lin Sijun: "This is the candy my sister gave me. I'll give it to you."

Lin Yiyi entered the kitchen and closed the door. She started buying things in the system mall. The things in the basket were just common eggs, taro and tomatoes. She would buy other things that were not often available outside when she got home to avoid the packaging being discovered when she brought them back.

She bought half a roast duck and put it on a plate, and bought a pound of cucumbers. Then she started cooking, making tomato and egg drop soup, smashed cucumbers with sweet and sour sauce, and a portion of pepper and salt potatoes. She also had rice and coarse grains for dinner. When it was almost ready, she opened the door and went to call for help.

Lin Yiyi: "Brother Yu, get up and eat."

Although Xiao Yu was sleeping soundly, people like him are very alert. As soon as Lin Yiyi called him, he woke up: "Coming." When he got up, he actually put on the men's woolen sweater that Lin Yiyi had placed on the bed without anyone noticing.

Lin Yiyi stood at the gate of the yard: "Sijun, it's time to eat."

Lin Sijun: "Coming soon."

Lin Yiyi: "Hurry up, the food is getting cold." After urging him a few times, she turned around and saw Xiao Yu standing in the yard doing some stretching movements. Lin Yiyi stared at him. Compared with his previous tired face, the man who had taken a shower and put on a woolen sweater was so handsome. Xiao Yu was tall and had a good figure. He was the kind of walking clothes rack.

Seeing Lin Yiyi staring at him, Xiao Yu felt a little embarrassed, but he didn't show it. He said calmly, "This sweater is nice. It's expensive, right?"

Lin Yiyi: "As long as it's a gift for Brother Yu, it's worth it no matter how expensive it is."

Xiao Yu: “…” His heart was beating faster for some reason.

Lin Yiyi walked forward, pulled him into the room, and then took out a remittance voucher from the drawer. The money on the remittance voucher had been withdrawn, and this was the receipt left behind.

Xiao Yu looked at it in confusion, then said in surprise: "So much?" More than 700 yuan, which was equivalent to his 9-month salary.

Lin Yiyi explained: "The publishing house said that my current royalty is based on the number of copies printed. For the first print run of 5,000 copies, I was paid 918 yuan, minus the 200 yuan that was sent to me before, so here is 718 yuan. When the 5,000 copies are almost sold out, they will continue to print. In fact, if the royalties are paid based on the number of copies printed, if the sales are good, I can still make a good deal. If the sales are good, the publishing house will reprint, and I can get the royalties for the first two stories repeatedly. If the royalties are paid based on the number of words, my first two stories have 200,000 words, which is only 400 yuan, which is a one-time payment."

Xiao Yu listened to her explanation and realized how amazing his wife was. These things were not in his field of study, so he didn't understand them, but later, he would try to understand them. Xiao Yu is just like that. If he encounters something he doesn't understand and thinks it is useful to him, he will learn it. And understanding his wife's work is necessary for him, and it is as important as his own work. After thinking about it, Xiao Yu suddenly imitated Lin Yiyi: "You are awesome."

The deep voice was slightly raised, with a hint of pride: "You are making more money than me now, it seems I have to work hard too."

Lin Yiyi smiled slightly, her smug look carrying a hint of arrogance, but not too much arrogance. She raised her chin and said, "I don't mind. I will support you in the future. I will raise you to be strong, and then..."

Xiao Yu: "Then what?" His deep eyes locked tightly on Lin Yiyi's every expression, with a smile hidden in his eyes, very gentle.

Lin Yiyi stood on tiptoe, hugged his neck, pulled him down, put her mouth close to his ear and whispered: "Then when I grow up, I will eat you."

After saying that, she pushed him away and ran away with a red face. Damn, this was the first time she did such a thing, probably because she had read too many novels.

Xiao Yu looked at her, and his eyes gradually darkened as he thought about the meaning of her words.

Lin Yiyi ran out of the room and returned to the kitchen, humming a song happily. In fact, a person's ability is not just about how much money he makes. There is a skill that is above money, and that is power. Why do rich people want to curry favor with officials? Because power is more important than money, and it can better reflect ability.

For someone like Xiao Yu, a monthly salary of 80 yuan was already very high in that era. Moreover, he was the deputy director of the Public Security Bureau, so he had both power and money.

"Wow, sister, what is this?" Lin Sijun brought Lin Wudi in, stood beside the dining table, and stared at the roast duck.

Lin Yiyi: "This is roast duck."

Xiao Yu walked in: "Roast duck?" Xiao Yu had eaten roast duck before. When he was in military school, his classmates brought it to him. It was delicious, but expensive. "I ate it when I was in military school. It tasted great."

Lin Yiyi: "I bought this especially for you today, Deputy Director Xiao. You've worked hard in the past half month. You should make up for it. But I don't know which one tastes better, our local roast duck or the one you ate before."

Xiao Yu smiled and said, "Thank you." He was in such a good mood that he couldn't hide his smile, "This is delicious too."

Lin Sijun was in the best mood at night. It was his first time to eat roast duck. It was inconvenient to pick it up with chopsticks, so he just took it with his hands. As a result, he licked all five fingers. Lin Yiyi looked at him, as if she saw the children of relatives during the New Year and other festivals. Some of the younger ones also ate roast duck and licked their fingers after eating. But in her era, children licked their fingers simply because they were young and ignorant. However, in this era, children licked their fingers because they were poor and had never eaten delicious food, so they couldn't bear to part with even the slightest taste on their fingers.

Lin Yiyi suddenly felt sad and gave Lin Sijun another piece of roast duck: "Don't lick your fingers, they are dirty."

Lin Sijun: “Hey.”

Xiao Yu is very good at observing people's emotions because of his profession. He is also very sensitive to people's emotions. Seeing the sadness that Lin Yiyi revealed in an instant, he had an idea in his mind. But he didn't say it out loud. Xiao Yu: "Were these tomatoes picked outside?" He changed the subject. It's December 1st now. According to the date, tomatoes and cauliflower will be ripe in mid-November.

Lin Yiyi said: "I bought it. Our tomatoes and cauliflower are not ready yet."

Xiao Yu thought for a while and said, "Because there is no fertilizer, it matures late." However, the vegetables in this kind of yard cannot be fertilized, otherwise the smell will affect the people next door and will cause everyone's protest.

After dinner, Xiao Yu went to see two small vegetable sheds. Lin Yiyi took Lin Sijun and Lin Wujun for a walk in front of the door. When they walked out of the door, Grandma Wang came and followed their pace. Grandma Wang had been walking with Lin Yiyi for a while. She liked to find Lin Yiyi because she liked to gossip, and Lin Yiyi would listen to her patiently. For example, her daughter-in-law didn't like to listen and thought she was nosy.

In a blink of an eye, it was December 9, Saturday, the day when Lin Sijun and Lin Sanjun switched. After a week, Lin Wudi fell in love with Lin Sijun. He was not like other children who would cling to their sisters to sleep. He still liked to sleep with Lin Sijun. After all, before Lin Yiyi came, Lin Sijun always took care of him. Moreover, Lin Sijun would take him to play with other children in the vocational college, so he liked Lin Sijun very much. Now that Lin Sanjun was going to take over, he didn't know if he could adapt.

This week, Lin Yiyi stopped going to Brother Wang to buy vegetables. She buys vegetables from the system mall every day. Of course, it’s not extravagant, but it’s better than before. In the past, she had two dishes for a meal, but now she has three dishes. However, basically all three are vegetables. She only buys meat once a week, otherwise there would be meat for every meal, and Xiao Yu would think that the family savings were eaten up. But even if there were two vegetables, she didn’t cook them herself, but bought them from the system mall. When Xiao Yu came back from get off work, she had already bought them, and he wouldn’t even know that they were not cooked by her. Moreover, the dishes she bought were relatively simple, and it was not difficult to cook them. Otherwise, what if she got embarrassed when it was her turn to cook? Lin Yiyi has considered many aspects.

Lin Yiyi was in the vegetable shed: "Sijun, bring me a basket. The tomatoes are ripe."

Lin Sijun: "I'm here." He and Lin Wujun were playing with a ball. The ball was made by Lin Yiyi at the request of an old tailor. The ball was filled with scraps of cloth from torn clothes that could no longer be worn. The cloth wrapped around the outside was also cut from torn clothes. The cloth was patched up and was in a state of disrepair. Lin Yiyi didn't dare to use good cloth to make this, as it would attract gossip. Because of this cloth ball, Lin Sijun, Lin Wujun and the children from the vocational college had a better time playing. The children often came to him to play with the cloth ball. Several children formed a circle and then passed the ball one by one. They would play this game for several days without getting bored.

However, thanks to the TOEFL, Lin Yiyi received thanks from parents of other children and became familiar with several of them.

Lin Sijun handed the basket to Lin Yiyi: "Sister, are the tomatoes red?" As he said this, he licked his lips.

Lin Yiyi: "It's red. I'll give it to you later."

There were 9 tomato plants in total. Because there was no fertilizer, the growth was not very good. Some of them had 7 or 8 tomatoes on one plant, and some had 13 or 14 tomatoes on one plant. In fact, in modern times, a tomato plant can produce about 50 tomatoes. Even in the countryside of this era, a well-grown tomato can produce 20 to 30 fruits. So the tomatoes they had were really average, but even if they were average, they were still valuable.

The vegetable shed is closed on three sides and only faces the house on one side, so Lin Yiyi bought 5 kilograms of tomatoes from the system mall under the pretext of picking tomatoes, about 15 tomatoes, plus the 5 picked here, there are 20 in total.

After coming out, she picked out two for Lin Sijun, one big and one small, and then said, "Go wash them and eat them. Give the small one to your brother, and wash it clean."

Lin Sijun: “Hey.”

Lin Yiyi went to check on the cauliflower again and found that it was also ready. She picked a cauliflower. The cauliflower was not big, only about one and a half pounds.

Lin Yiyi put the cauliflower on the kitchen table, took out a few tomatoes, and then went out with a basket. She delivered tomatoes to Grandma Wang's house and several of Lin Sijun and Lin Wudi's playmates. There were four families in total, and she delivered three tomatoes to each family. When she came back from the farthest family, she heard a lively conversation at home. She knew it was Lin Dajun.