Chapter 273 The Banquet
Two tables were placed under a shed in front of someone else's house.
The cadres in the group looked at the dishes on the table, but they didn't show it on their faces; instead, they all whispered among themselves.
Looking at the egg flowers in the egg drop soup, Wu Jianying thought to himself that his eldest daughter had brought over seven or eight eggs yesterday, but there were probably not even two eggs in this soup.
Could it be that Da Niu didn't give it to him?
Wei Zhao poured some loose liquor he had bought from the supply and marketing cooperative for the group and said, "If it weren't for the kindness of my neighbors, I wouldn't even be able to prepare this meal today. Please don't mind, we can get together again when things are better tomorrow."
Li Changgui said, "Everyone's family is like this. It's already good enough to have these things. Our country is suffering. Many farmers' families can't even afford a single dish on their table."
"You're Wei Yang's older sister, right?"
Wei Zhao glanced at him, nodded, and asked, "She's my older sister, what's wrong?"
Li Changgui said, "Wei Yang went to military school and is a cultured person. Judging from your voice, you are also cultured. You went to university, right? Where is your husband? Why didn't he come here with you?"
Wei Zhao found this person really annoying, but she didn't show it on her face. Just as she was about to brush it off, Wei Yang came up to her and said, "Sister, my wife is hungry. Can you take her some food?"
Wei Zhao said, "I'll go right away."
Wei Yang sat down, picked up his wine glass, and said, "It is my honor that everyone can come today. If there is anything I have done poorly in my hospitality, I will make up for it in the future."
Although the food and wine on the table were not good, it did not stop the group from toasting and drinking.
The group leaders were all around them, and the neighbors sitting at another table didn't dare to speak loudly.
After Wei Zhao entered the house, he carried the pot that was behind the door to the ground next to Song Lubai and said, "This is the leftover ribs from yesterday. The soup was a bit spoiled, so I threw it away. I took out the bones and cooked them thoroughly when there were fewer people around. The smell isn't too strong. It's cold now, so you can eat it first. I'll cut some beef for you after everyone leaves."
Song Lubai said, "Call Shaohua and the others in so they can have some too."
Wei Zhao shook his head, "I won't call them anymore. They're playing with other children outside. If a whole house is filled with them, who can handle it?"
Seeing Song Lubai smile, Wei Zhao asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Song Lubai truthfully said, "When I first met my third sister, I felt that she was not a person who knew how to manage a household."
She raised her hand and shook her watch, saying, "This is the first time I've received such a valuable gift. Thank you, Third Sister."
Wei Zhao glanced at his watch and smiled, "I could afford to give gifts before, but I can't now. Now that you two are getting married, I can't afford to give you anything. From now on, you two should live a good life together, argue less, and be more understanding and tolerant. That's better than anything else."
Wei Yang was transferred here because of her. If it weren't for her, Song Lubai would still be doing well in Shicheng. Because of this, Wei Zhao felt indebted to Song Lubai.
Song Lubai nodded and said, "A family should be more understanding and tolerant of each other. Third Sister is so good at managing a household. I should learn from you in the future."
Wei Zhao shrugged. "Then what should I do? From now on, I'll have to rely on you two. I guess I'll have to be sensible and considerate."
Song Lubai could tell that Wei Zhao was the type to speak her mind, so she suggested, "Sister, why don't you come to work with me?"
She felt that her third sister would definitely prefer to go to work rather than stay cooped up at home every day.
Wei Zhao hesitated, not because she didn't want to go to work, but because she was afraid of causing Wei Yang any trouble.
After all, Lao Chen's matter is still in the spotlight.
In the end, Wei Zhao shook his head and said, "Let's wait and see. Dongyang is still young, and I have to stay home and look after them."
The two talked for a while longer before Wei Zhao closed the door and left.
Song Lubai unbuttoned her clothes, took off her red dress, folded it neatly, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Wei Yang's third sister was much easier to get along with than she had expected.
The first time they met, Wei Zhao left such a deep impression on her that it has kept her somewhat uneasy ever since.
At the dinner table, the neighbors dared not utter a sound and ate their meals in silence.
Although there was no meat on the table, we usually don't eat many dishes in a meal, so at least there were a few dishes on the table today.
The leaders at the next table unknowingly started talking about the vegetable garden.
Secretary Feng said, “We have a good plan and we are all focused on ensuring that everyone has enough to eat. But just like Political Commissar Li said, the vegetable plots are scattered here and there, right in front of our homes. We can’t guarantee that someone won’t steal them. Also, although our policy is correct, the people may not cooperate. I doubt many people would be willing to hand over the vegetables they have worked so hard to grow to the regiment.”
Li Changgui said, "What do you want to do if you don't want to hand it over? Then you'll ruin everything. Do you still dare to privately occupy the land in the regiment? I told you this matter is not good. Everyone has their own selfish motives. Our work will be difficult."
Deputy Head Wu Jianying said, "Although there are many problems, I believe that if we talk to everyone properly, they will definitely cooperate actively."
At the next table, Wei Zhao interjected, "The leaders' ideas are exactly the same as my neighbors'. Yesterday, someone from the regiment came to inform us that they were going to destroy the vegetable garden. These past two days, everyone has been saying that they are willing to hand over their vegetable gardens to the regiment. They believe that the regiment will take care of the vegetable gardens in the future. They will also try to persuade other people who are unwilling to hand over their gardens."
Wei Zhao gave a wink, and Aunt Lu spoke first, her voice trembling: "Well, everyone knows that the leaders are doing this for our own good. It was wrong of us to grow vegetables on our own, and it's only right that we hand them over to the regiment for unified harvesting. We are all willing to do this, and we are also willing to talk to people in other areas about the pros and cons."
Wei Zhao said, "Once we explain things clearly, everyone will know that you are all doing this for the good of everyone."
"Yes, yes, the leaders are all for our sake."
The woman who had the fiercest argument with Wei Zhao earlier was a woman surnamed Zhao. She had specifically invited him to stay for dinner, hoping to get a chance to say something in this situation.
While others stammered in response, Sister Zhao remained completely silent.
Wei Zhao was furious.
She's so arrogant, yet she doesn't dare speak up in front of a group of men. What's she afraid of? So what if all the leaders are men? And there are so many of them! What a spineless coward!
When Sister Zhao saw that Wei Zhao was staring at her, she shrank her neck guiltily.
Wei Zhao simply couldn't bear to look.
The neighbors promised that as long as the community didn't destroy the vegetable plots, they would persuade the other vegetable growers to cooperate.
Wei Zhao led the neighbors in praising the leader and made guarantees. The leaders were comfortably put on hold, and in the end, even Li Changgui stopped saying anything.
There were no meat dishes on the table, and all the vegetarian dishes on both tables were eaten clean.
It was hot at noon, and the meal ended before 3 p.m.
Wei Zhao and Aunt Lu and the others were packing up the stall.
Wei Zhao looked at Sister Zhao and said, "You talk a lot in front of me, and you seem to have quite a temper. Why didn't you say a word just now? Didn't you say before that you couldn't live without the vegetable garden? What? Did your mouth get sewn shut just now?"
A group of women all looked at Zhao Hongying.
"Exactly. He's usually such a formidable person, but today he hasn't said a word. So you can only act tough in front of us? We can't count on you for anything."
Zhao Hongying was so badly insulted that she couldn't say a word.
Her face was bright red, almost burning red like a monkey's bottom.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
