Chapter 42 Undercurrents
Finally, under the stern reprimand of the political commissar and the disdainful gazes of those around them, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law sheepishly lowered their heads and apologized to Sister Wang and Nan Zhiyi, then dragged Li Qiang away in a hurry.
I dare not say anything about losing money again.
Political Commissar Yang first dispersed the crowd before whispering to Nan Zhiyi, "Commander Gu's mission took a while, but he's definitely safe and sound, so don't worry."
Nan Zhiyi thanked her.
Political Commissar Yang nodded and left.
The turmoil subsided.
Sister-in-law Wang hugged Nan Zhiyi tightly: "Sister! It's all thanks to you!"
All her previous brashness had vanished.
Nan Zhiyi patted her on the back without saying anything.
Sister-in-law Wang insisted on having Nan Zhiyi eat at the Zheng family's house: "It will save you the trouble of cooking at home. It's just simple food, so please don't complain."
Nan Zhiyi was about to refuse.
The children surrounded her and led her into the yard. Xiaofang even told her to show her the chicks she was raising.
At the dinner table.
A rough porcelain bowl holds millet porridge, and on the table are stir-fried wild vegetables and wild duck eggs, along with a dish of pickled vegetables.
The children chattered excitedly.
Nan Zhiyi sipped her porridge, feeling warm in her stomach but her heart felt like it was submerged in ice water.
Gu Xiao... has been gone for more than two months.
The following morning, Nan Zhiyi found the office number that Gu Xiao had left for her, which belonged to Commander Gu.
There is a telephone in the battalion headquarters duty room for emergency contact.
The soldier on duty recognized the regimental commander's wife, registered the reason for her visit, and helped her get connected.
A deep, authoritative voice came from the other end of the line: "Where?"
“Dad…it’s me, Zhiyi.” Nan Zhiyi’s throat tightened.
"Um."
"Gu Xiao... he's been away on a mission for a long time. Do you... have any news from him?"
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.
Commander Gu was certainly aware of the mission details, but discipline was paramount.
“Missions have cycles, and it’s common for him not to return to the team on time. He’s experienced, so there’s no need to worry too much.”
Commander Gu's voice was calm, even reassuring: "Stay home and wait for him to come back."
"Yes... thank you, Dad." Nan Zhiyi understood the implication: if she couldn't get the answer, there was no need to ask again.
She hung up the phone.
Back in the family compound, a few days later, Sister Wang came in a huff, her eyes red and swollen.
"That bastard Section Chief Li! He said the buttonhole spacing of my buttons was wrong and the stitches were uneven! He's nitpicking! He's suspended my piecework!"
She was trembling with anger. "He's just seeking revenge! Revenge for Weiguo and Weijun beating up that scoundrel of his, revenge for making his family lose face!"
Nan Zhiyi's heart sank.
Section Chief Li's actions were insidious and disgusting.
Cutting off someone's source of income, especially for someone like Sister Wang who has a family to support, is tantamount to cutting off their lifeline.
"Don't worry, sister-in-law." Nan Zhiyi poured her a glass of water, but her eyes turned cold.
Did Section Chief Li think she was just a pampered young lady who could only swallow her anger? He was wrong.
A few days ago, when she went to the camp club to return books, she inadvertently saw Section Chief Li and a young female soldier who had just arrived from the cultural troupe standing very close together in a dimly lit corner backstage where props were piled up.
Section Chief Li's hand seemed to "unintentionally" rest on the folds of the curtain behind the female soldier's waist, lingering for a few seconds.
The female soldier kept her head down, her expression unreadable, and hurried away.
Section Chief Li then came out, looking perfectly normal.
At the time, Nan Zhiyi only felt something was wrong, but didn't think much of it.
Now it seems...
She didn't say much to Sister-in-law Wang, only telling her to calm down.
The next day, Nan Zhiyi "coincidentally" ran into Section Chief Li near the club again, and she pretended to be concerned.
"Section Chief Li, you didn't look too well the other day. Is it because you're too busy with work? Or... is your wife not taking good care of you at home? I see you're always busy at the club. The logistics work is really hard."
She added pointedly, "However... logistics work involves a wide range of people and a lot of scrutiny, so Section Chief Li should take care of his health, and even more so... be mindful of the impact. After all, in this residential compound, even the slightest thing can become common knowledge. What do you think?"
She didn't mention the female soldiers in the cultural troupe, the prop room, or even Sister Wang's matter.
But a fine layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on Section Chief Li's forehead.
Having spent many years in government offices, how could he not understand this subtle but veiled warning?
"Mrs. Gu is right! I... I will definitely pay attention! I will definitely pay attention!" Section Chief Li forced a stiff smile.
Nan Zhiyi nodded slightly.
The next morning, the logistics officer in charge of distributing piecework approached Wang Guihua and said politely, "Comrade Wang Guihua, Section Chief Li personally checked and said there might have been a misunderstanding last time! Your work is perfectly up to standard! Here are the new materials and requirements, please keep them safe! If you have any problems in the future, just come to me!"
Sister-in-law Wang was both surprised and delighted, completely bewildered, as she held the fabric.
Nan Zhiyi stood at the gate of her own courtyard, watching the situation on Wang's side, her face expressionless.
She held a freshly picked cucumber, still covered in morning dew, in her hand.
She seized upon Section Chief Li's pigtail.
But this victory brought her no relief, only a deeper chill.
Her methods were hardly honorable...
On market days, Nan Zhiyi and her sisters-in-law would go to the market along the riverbank together.
The market was bustling with activity and teeming with people.
Sister-in-law Wang knew the place well and had a loud, clear voice.
"Pork belly! Thick fat, with lots of rendered fat! The rendered fat will be so fragrant!"
She turned to Nan Zhiyi and Sister Liu and said, "Hey, Old Zhang's wife was crying yesterday when she handed in her work, saying that Section Chief Li complained that the buttons she sewed were crooked! I think it's because she didn't give him enough bribes!"
Sister Liu replied softly, "...My family earned twelve yuan and eighty cents last month. Xiao Hong's father sent five yuan home, which made things a little easier."
"That's quite a lot!" Sister Wang's eyes lit up. "I can get a little over fourteen yuan! Xiaofang and Xiaoling are also busy helping out. But I heard that Xiao Zhao's wife from logistics is really skilled; she's fast and neat at hemming, and she can earn sixteen or seventeen yuan a month!"
Her tone was a mix of envy and resentment.
Nan Zhiyi listened quietly, only responding softly when the stall owner asked for prices.
She bought some seasonal vegetables and then went to the poultry and egg stall, remembering that Sister Wang was going to teach her how to pickle salted duck eggs.
"Twenty duck eggs, please." She pointed to the bluish-white, uniformly sized ones.
Sister-in-law Wang leaned over and winked, "Oh, so you're already thinking of pickling them? To have with Commander Gu when he gets back?"
Nan Zhiyi's face flushed slightly as she lowered her head to count the money.
In the afternoon, Sister Wang came with half a bag of coarse salt and about a dozen duck eggs: "I'll pickle some more for you while I'm at it."
Nan Zhiyi followed her instructions in advance, boiled a large pot of water and let it cool, and washed and dried the earthenware pot and duck eggs.
"Watch closely!"
Sister-in-law Wang rolled up her sleeves and got to work quickly and efficiently.
Pour cooled boiled water into an earthenware pot, sprinkle in coarse salt and stir until dissolved, then add Sichuan peppercorns and star anise.
She picked up the duck egg, rinsed it in cooled boiled water, and then rolled it in a bowl of white wine.
Nan Zhiyi observed carefully and noted down the proportion of salt water and the amount of spices used.
"Don't skimp on the salt! Too little and it won't be salty enough, and it'll spoil even worse. Seal the jar tightly and store it in a cool, dark place. It'll definitely start to ooze oil in forty days!"
Nan Zhiyi carefully immersed the duck eggs coated with white wine into the salt water, arranging them neatly one by one.
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