Chapter 258 I Won't Let You Suffer
"Sister, how could you do this? Why won't you let us be with you!"
The two brothers were extremely unhappy!
We finally made it to Xinjiang province, so why are we being separated again?
In fact, Wei Yang still had some doubts about this.
Given his position, arranging a job and accommodation for his mother-in-law would not be a problem at all.
Song Lubai's previous explanation convinced him at the time, but upon reflection, he felt there were still problems.
I don't know why she didn't tell him the truth.
The brothers' argument gave Song Lubai a headache. She yelled, "Shut up, you two! Do you have to let everyone hear us?"
She lowered her voice and said, "From now on, no matter who asks, just say your brother-in-law works at a branch farm below Shicheng. It's too far away, and they might bully you! Do you hear me?"
When Song Lubai got angry, the two brothers could only nod obediently.
Song Lubai continued, "That place is a remote, out-of-the-way place. Your brother-in-law and I will go there and suffer. You two stay here; it's closer to the city."
The brothers' expressions changed instantly.
They hadn't forgotten the desolate scenery they saw on the train; it was arguably the further west they went, the more desolate it became.
Shicheng is no match for their county town. How desolate must the place my brother-in-law went to be?
Zhang Jianshe asked innocently, "Brother-in-law, are you having a hard time over there? Can't you even get enough to eat?"
Song Lubai's gaze shifted over, carrying a hint of threat. Wei Yang nodded seriously, "It is pitiful. You live in brick houses here, while I live in a mud-brick house over there, which leaks when it rains."
Lin Heping frowned and said, "Brother-in-law is lying. If you were that pitiful, how come you brought so much dried fruit?"
Wei Yang said without batting an eye, "I bought that Uyghur bearded man on the way. The conditions there are not as good as here. Even with my salary, I can't buy good things. Compared to here, that place is just the countryside. Listen to your sister, just live a good life here."
The brothers' gazes began to shift from suspicion to sympathy.
Song Lubai put her hands on her hips: "What? You two still don't believe me? You're not happy about living a good life here?"
"From now on, you're not allowed to talk about your family's past outside, and you're especially not allowed to mention your father. If anyone asks, you have to say he died of illness. Behave yourselves outside, do you hear me?"
The two brothers could only nod obediently.
"Alright, you two go out and have some fun."
The two brothers refused.
"My brother-in-law went out with us."
Wei Yang shook Song Lubai's hand and said, "Let's go to the village together to catch a chicken and cook it when we get back."
The two brothers jumped for joy, shouting, "Great! We've got chicken! We've got chicken!"
The chickens raised at the tobacco station were all laying hens, and the aunties couldn't bear to slaughter them for food until they stopped laying eggs.
Most of the chickens raised by the villagers are hens, and most families are reluctant to sell them, since eggs can be exchanged for money and are a fixed source of income for the family each month.
I asked around at many places before I finally found a big red rooster, which was quite plump.
There is plenty of grass around the village, and the chickens raised by each household do not need to be specially fed. They are completely free-range and can grow fat on their own, running around in the fields as they please.
A large rooster was priced at one yuan and eighty cents. Wei Yang weighed it in his hand and estimated that it weighed more than five kilograms. The price was not expensive.
Wei Yang wasn't very familiar with the process of boiling water and slaughtering chickens, but with the guidance of several aunties, he successfully plucked the rooster's feathers clean.
Aunt Fan said warmly, "There are potatoes in the kitchen. Potato stew with chicken is delicious. Take as many as you like."
Song Lubai had never cooked meat dishes before, after all, meat was a precious thing, and in previous years at home, she was never asked to cook meat dishes.
"Can you do it?"
After hesitating, Wei Yang honestly shook his head.
Aunt Fan and the others were all smiles. "Put it there, we'll make it for you. Neither of you knows how to cook it. It's such a nice rooster, don't let it go to waste."
Regardless of whether Aunt Fan and the others lift a finger, half of this chicken will have to be given away once it's cooked.
Eating communal meals every day means that anything done in the kitchen can't be kept secret, which means you're destined not to be able to eat alone.
Aunt Fan and the others who supposedly knew how to cook simply melted the yellow chicken fat, then added wild onions and garlic and stir-fried for a while before adding the chicken back into the pot and stir-frying.
Seeing that Aunt Fan was about to add water, Song Lubai said, "Why don't you add soy sauce?"
Aunt Fan said confidently, "Why add soy sauce? The chicken tastes good on its own. It's delicious even without any other seasoning. There's no need to add soy sauce."
Song Lubai smiled and picked up the soy sauce, saying, "The chicken we eat at restaurants is always served with soy sauce. Auntie, the color of the chicken looks better when it's stir-fried with soy sauce, and it can enhance the appetite. You'll see when it's cooked in a bit."
Pour in the soy sauce, stir-fry a few times, and the meat quickly changes color, looking quite appetizing.
Song Lubai knew that they might know that it would taste better with soy sauce, but they were used to being frugal and wanted to use everything sparingly.
But she didn't care; they were the ones who paid for the rooster today, so everything had to be done according to her wishes.
When you put the dried red chilies into the pot, the aroma wafts far and wide after simmering for only a short time.
Zhang Cui and the others smelled the incredibly fragrant aroma of meat halfway there, which made their stomachs rumble.
The closer they got to the tobacco station, the stronger the aroma became, so strong that they couldn't believe the tobacco station kitchen had made chicken.
Since the cafeteria started serving food, it has never cooked chicken even once.
The group swallowed hard as they entered the courtyard. Aunt Ge quickly smiled and said to Zhang Cui, "Zhang Cui, your son-in-law is here. He even bought a chicken in the village. Your son-in-law is so filial."
Hearing the commotion outside, Wei Yang and the others who were talking inside came out of the house.
Zhang Cui was all smiles when she saw Wei Yang.
After exchanging pleasantries, the meat in the pot was cooked.
After Song Lubai ladled out a bowl, she said to Aunt Fan and the others, "You can eat the rest. We'll go back inside and eat this meal."
The chicken stew contained a lot of potato chunks, and this pot was about half full. The remaining half certainly wouldn't be enough for so many people, but giving away so much was already very generous.
Aunt Fan and the others smiled broadly and politely declined the offer, then filled a basket to the brim with cornbread for them.
"Come and get more if you need more."
There was no table in the room, so they used two stools pushed together.
The conditions were so basic that they could only eat sitting on their shoes.
When Zhang Cui inquired about Wei Yang's situation, she heard that it would take three or four days for him to come, and the meat in her mouth suddenly lost its appeal.
Zhang Jianshe said, "Mom, my sister and brother-in-law don't want us to go because they want us to have a better life here. My brother-in-law still lives in a mud house and doesn't have enough to eat. He said that it's similar to our hometown in the countryside."
Song Lubai wanted to laugh, but she held it back.
Zhang Cui's expression immediately changed, and she said worriedly, "Xiao Wei, is it that hard where you are? You won't have to work in the fields again, will you? When can you be transferred back?"
Wei Yang glanced at Song Lubai.
Song Lu rolled her eyes, looking indifferent and aloof, as if it were none of her business.
Wei Yang said, "It's very remote over there. I agree with Lu Bai's suggestion that you stay here. The conditions there are tough; there aren't even many brick houses in the regiment headquarters. It's much better here. Mom, don't worry, I'll find a way to transfer back when I have the chance."
Song Lubai thought to herself: Could it be that the mud-brick house she made up is actually going to be a mud-brick house?
No!
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