Tong Xuelu was stunned for a moment, thinking that maybe Wen Rugui came back so soon
. She straightened her clothes and walked towards the door.
When she was about to open the door, she still asked cautiously, "Who is it?"
At this time, there was no surveillance, no peepholes, and no anti-theft door. If there was a bad guy standing outside, it would be very dangerous for her to open the door.
A strange woman's voice came from outside: "Hello, I live next door to you, and my husband's surname is Wei."
The voice sounded quite kind, so Tong Xuelu opened the door a little.
Standing at the door was a woman in her fifties.
The other party had fair skin, majestic and dignified facial features, and wore a white "Dacron" shirt on the upper body and "Dacron" black trousers on the lower body. There was no wrinkle on the clothes.
Tong Xuelu looked at the woman in front of her, and three words came to her mind: rich people.
Although "Dacron" began to appear in the early 1960s, it was produced in small quantities for export and foreign exchange earning. Only a small amount was exported and sold domestically in Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai.
It takes several hours to queue up to buy a piece of "Dacron" clothing. The key is that this clothing is very expensive!
A shirt costs about 15 yuan, and an ordinary worker's monthly salary is only 30 yuan. Most people are reluctant to spend money to buy such a piece of clothing.
It is no exaggeration to say that the "Dacron" of this era is just like LV and GUCCI later, which are all symbols of status.
And the woman in front of her is wearing a whole set of "Dacron", isn't it rich?
When Tong Xuelu was looking at the woman in front of her, the woman was also looking at Tong Xuelu.
A look of surprise flashed across her black and white eyes, and then her brows knitted.
She felt that the person in front of her looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen him before.
Shen Wanrong smiled gently and kindly, "My husband's surname is Wei, my surname is Shen, and my two grandsons and I live next door to you."
She pointed to the small courtyard on the right, which was about five or six meters away from Tong Xuelu's courtyard.
Tong Xuelu looked in the direction she pointed and said, "Hello, my name is Tong Xuelu, Tong means Tong in winter. My brother and sister and I just moved here today, and because the house is not ready yet, we didn't visit everyone."
Shen Wanrong was slightly stunned.
Surname Tong?
There was no one surnamed Tong among the people she knew.
But the words just now only mentioned herself and her younger brothers and sisters, but not their parents. Could it be that their parents are gone?
But if there are no parents, how can they afford to buy or rent such a house?
Shen Wanrong had many doubts in her heart, but because they were not familiar with each other, it was difficult to ask.
"We just moved here this year. This house has been empty and no one has lived in it. Now it's good that you are here, and everyone will have a company in the future." As she said, she handed over the chestnuts she brought, "These are chestnuts sent to us by relatives. They are very soft and sticky. You can take them back and eat them."
Tong Xuelu never liked the game of pushing things back and forth. Since she was going to live here in the future, it was common for neighbors to send food to each other.
So she didn't refuse and took it with a smile: "Then I'm welcome. Thank you, Grandma Shen. The chestnuts in autumn taste the best."
Shen Wanrong didn't like the push-and-pull game either. Seeing Tong Xuelu accept the things generously, she had a better impression of her.
At this moment, a chubby little girl ran out of the yard: "Grandma, where have you been? Zhuzhu didn't see you when she woke up!"
Shen Wanrong saw her granddaughter and smiled widely: "Run slower, be careful not to fall!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the little girl stumbled, then sat on the ground and fell again: "Oh grandma, I fell, I need you to hold me!"
Tong Xuelu: "..."
She is so dramatic at such a young age, what will she be like when she grows up?
It's just that her acting is a bit too perfunctory.
Shen Wanrong was not surprised. She walked over with a smile, picked up her granddaughter, and gently reprimanded: "The ground is so dirty, how can you just lie down like that? You have to change clothes later."
Wei Zhuzhu pouted: "Grandma, I fell down. My clothes are dirty, I just need to pat them off. Who were you talking to just now?"
Shen Wanrong: "There are new neighbors next door, and grandma came to say hello."
"Is it that sister?" Wei Zhuzhu looked at Tong Xulu, her eyes suddenly brightened, "Sister is so beautiful! Grandma, please carry me over! I want to see the beautiful sister!"
Shen Wanrong walked over with her granddaughter in her arms, smiled helplessly: "I'm sorry to make you laugh, this child has liked beautiful things and people since she was a child."
Who doesn't?
Tong Xuelu, who is obsessed with looks, smiled and expressed her understanding: "I also like good-looking people."
When Wei Zhuzhu heard this, her eyes brightened: "As expected, good-looking people have the same ideas. Grandpa said that great minds think alike!"
Tong Xuelu was amused by her confident little look. What an interesting child.
Shen Wanrong showed a doting and helpless smile on her face.
At this time, Tong Jiaxin walked out of the room and was seen by Wei Zhuzhu.
Wei Zhuzhu immediately struggled to get down: "Grandma, come down quickly, I saw a good-looking brother!"
Tong Jiaxin was stunned when he heard this: a good-looking brother? Talking about him? She has good taste!
Wei Zhuzhu is six years old this year. She is a little taller and a little bigger than ordinary children. When she struggled, Shen Wanrong couldn't hold her at all.
Wei Zhuzhu jumped down and rushed to Tong Jiaxin like a firecracker: "Hello brother, my name is Wei Zhuzhu, what's your name?"
"Wei Zhuzhu?" Tong Jiaxin widened his eyes, then laughed, "Fortunately your parents gave you an extra name Zhu, otherwise you would have become pig feed, hahaha..."
Tong Xuelu: "..." This naughty child is really a troublemaker.
The one who was embarrassed just now was Shen Wanrong, and now it was Tong Xuelu's turn: "I'm really sorry, my brother is too rude, I will deal with him later!"
Shen Wanrong smiled and waved her hand: "It's okay, children's affairs should be solved by them."
Wei Zhuzhu inside was very generous: "Brother, because you are pretty, I won't be angry with you this time, but you haven't told me your name yet?"
Tong Jiaxin snorted: "Why should I tell you my name? You are not good-looking!"
Wei Zhuzhu: "Brother, you are so good-looking, why don't you have good eyesight? I am obviously very good-looking, and you don't tell me your name, how can I be good friends with you?"
Tong Jiaxin's nose was almost raised to the sky: "I don't want to be friends with girls!"
"..."
Tong Xuelu saw this from outside and her mouth twitched.
She didn't understand how Tong Jiaxin, who was such a straight man and arrogant, got married in his previous life?
At this time, Tong Jiaming came out of the house: "Jiaxin, you can't be so rude when you talk!"
Although Tong Jiaxin was very unconvinced, he was also a little scared when he saw his second brother's sullen look.
But before he could apologize, Wei Zhuzhu pushed him away, rushed to Tong Jiaming, and smiled sweetly: "Hello, brother, my name is Wei Zhuzhu, what's your name?"
Tong Jiaxin: "......?"
Tong Jiaming said: "Hello, my name is Tong Jiaming, that's my brother Tong Jiaxin."
Wei Zhuzhu smiled so hard that her eyes narrowed: "Brother, you are not only good-looking, but also have a nice voice, and you are so gentle to people, brother, you are so good!"
Tong Xuelu was amazed.
At such a young age, she is so good at flattering. Will she be afraid of not being able to chase a beautiful little brother when she grows up?
Tong Jiaming has never seen someone who speaks so directly, and her pretty face turned red.
Tong Mianmian came out of the house kicking her short legs: "Sister, you are right, my second brother is a very good person."
Wei Zhuzhu's eyes lit up again when she saw Tong Mianmian: "Sister, you are so pretty, as pretty as your second brother!"
The little ball blushed and twisted her body: "Sister is pretty too."
Wei Zhuzhu nodded: "I know, I am very pretty, but my brother is ugly. I really envy you for having such a pretty sister and brother!"
Tong Mianmian blinked her big eyes, tilted her head and said in a baby voice: "Is your eldest brother as ugly as my third brother?"
Tong Jiaxin: "......?"
Wei Zhuzhu: "No, my eldest brother, you are much uglier than my third brother!"
Tong Mianmian opened her mouth in shock, as if saying, "Is there anyone uglier than my third brother? How ugly would he be?"
Tong Jiaxin: "......……"
Sister, I'm heartbroken! ! !
Tong Jiaxin felt that his heart was broken.
Tong Xuelu listened to the children talking and laughed until tears came out.
Wei Zhuzhu thought that the Tong family was very good-looking, and she didn't want to go home: "Grandma, I want to play here."
Shen Wanrong: "Don't you see that the sisters and brothers are cleaning? You will delay them here. Wait until they are done cleaning, and then come over to play."
Wei Zhuzhu thought for a while and said: "Okay, then I will come again tomorrow!"
**
After Shen Wanrong and Wei Zhuzhu left, Tong Xuelu went back to her room to comb her hair, and then went to the vegetable market to buy vegetables.
Before going out, she asked Tong Jiaming to wash the rice and cook, and then boil the chestnuts and peel them.
Every time she bought something, Tong Xuelu deeply felt how scarce the material was in that era.
This time was different from the previous time. She didn't find a way to flatter, so she could only queue up obediently.
After queuing for almost an hour, she finally bought a bunch of rapeseed, two cabbages and three tomatoes.
The meat in the supply and marketing cooperative had been sold out, leaving only eggs.
After what happened last time, she didn't dare to buy things easily in the black market.
She carried the vegetables and eggs back home, sighing in her heart that a good cook can't cook without rice.
When she got home, she heard Tong Jiaxin's cheers at the door.
"That's great, we will have eggs to eat in the future! Second brother, let me feed the chickens in the future!"
Feed chickens?
Where are the chickens at home?
Tong Xuelu knocked on the door with doubt: "Mianmian, sister is back."
A sound of footsteps came towards the door. Tong Xuelu thought it would be Tong Jiaming who came to open the door, but when the door was opened, Wen Rugui's handsome face appeared in front of her.
Tong Xuelu was stunned for a moment: "You are back so soon?"
Back.
Wen Rugui never thought that these two words sounded so beautiful: "Well, I returned the car and came back."
He took the things from her naturally.
Men really need to be trained.
Tong Xuelu was very satisfied with his behavior of taking the initiative to bring things.
She closed the door and walked in while asking, "By the way, what was that about feeding chickens that I heard outside just now?"
Wen Rugui's eyelashes fluttered slightly, "My friend and I bought two chickens to celebrate your relocation."
Tong Xuelu looked over at Tong Jiaxin and saw a fat hen huddled in a corner, looking frightened.
Tong Mianmian stared at the old hen with her big watery eyes, looking very shocked.
The place where the family compound lived was not big enough, and raising chickens would have a strong smell. No one in the compound raised chickens, so this was the first time Tong Mianmian saw a live chicken.
Tong Xuelu retracted her gaze: "Thank you, I'm sorry to have cost you money again, but didn't you just say there were two chickens? Where's the other one?"
Wen Rugui: "It's already killed, in the kitchen."
Tong Xuelu's eyes lit up: "That's great, I was just worried that I couldn't treat you well tonight! Then I'll make a braised chestnut chicken, a portion of garlic cabbage, and a tomato egg drop soup to complete it."
Wen Rugui listened and couldn't help swallowing his saliva: "Okay."
After bringing the things to the kitchen, Tong Xuelu asked Tong Jiaming to come over to help.
Wen Rugui said that he could also help, but Tong Xuelu didn't agree.
She asked Tong Mianmian to take him to the living room to sit.
**
There are a few bundles of dry firewood and straw in the kitchen, which can last for a few days.
Tong Xuelu asked Tong Jiaming to wash the vegetables and peel the garlic, while she started to clean the old hen.
Fortunately, the old hen was already killed, otherwise she really didn't dare to kill the chicken.
However, this old hen looked delicious, unlike the chickens that were later fed with feed, the meat was fat and tender, and it was still very tight.
Thinking of the braised chestnut chicken later, it makes people want to drool.
She removed the neck and butt of the chicken, then chopped it into cubes, washed it clean, and put it in the pot to blanch the blood. Put it
in the pot with cold oil, and when the oil is hot, add onions, ginger, garlic, star anise and other seasonings to stir-fry. After the aroma comes out, pour in the chicken, stir-fry repeatedly until it changes color, then add soy sauce and rock sugar, then add boiling water and simmer over high heat, and pour in the chestnuts after boiling.
The aroma of chestnuts blended with the chicken during the stewing process, blending with the fragrance of the seasoning. When the sauce was reduced, both the chestnuts and the chicken were cooked into an attractive brown-red color.
The fragrance filled the whole house.
Tong Xulu sprinkled chopped green onions on the braised chestnut chicken, and the green chopped green onions set off the red chestnut chicken.
It was delicious!
She handed the chestnut chicken to Tong Jiaming: "Take it to the living room and cover it with a basin."
The chestnut chicken exuded a rich and attractive aroma, which rushed straight into Tong Jiaming's nose, making him swallow his saliva.
Tong Jiaxin, who was bonding with the hens in the compound, rushed over immediately after smelling the fragrance: "Second brother, it smells so good! Can I have a taste first?"
Tong Jiaxin swallowed his saliva while speaking. He felt that he was not very hungry, but now that he smelled the fragrance, he felt that he could eat two cows!
Tong Jiaming refused: "No!"
Tong Jiaxin howled upon hearing this, and followed into the hall, smelling the fragrance all the way.
Wen Rugui and Tong Mianmian were staring at each other in the hall.
Seeing the two people come in, Wen Rugui couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
He really didn't know how to get along with children, especially such a delicate and soft little girl.
After making the braised chestnut chicken, Tong Xulu quickly made a serving of garlic cabbage and a serving of tomato egg drop soup.
After finishing the dishes, she decided to make another serving of red date cake and let Wen Rugui take it back later.
She washed the red dates, removed the pits, and steamed them in a steamer until soft. After mashing them into a paste, she added sugar and yeast to the flour and mixed them evenly. While mixing, she poured in warm water until the flour became a batter.
She poured the batter into the steamer to steam it, then she went to the yard to wash her face before going to the hall to eat.
In the hall, the two brothers Tong Jiaming and Tong Jiaxin had already prepared the meals and were waiting for Tong Xuelu to come alone.
Tong Jiaxin was already starving, and he stretched his neck to look outside the door, his saliva almost dried up.
When he saw Tong Xuelu coming in, his eyes suddenly lit up like a thief.
Seeing her face flushed from the heat, Wen Rugui suddenly regretted his decision to stay for the rest of the meal.
If he hadn't stayed, she wouldn't have to cook so many meals.
Tong Xuelu didn't feel that she was tired. She enjoyed the cooking process and liked to see others enjoy the food she made.
Seeing that everyone was looking at her, she smiled with her red lips: "Why are you looking at me? Let's eat."
Tong Jiaxin shouted happily: "Great, it's time to eat!"
Wen Rugui looked at the braised chestnut chicken and wanted to take a piece for Tong Xuelu, but there were so many people sitting at the table.
He thought about it, but finally didn't do it.
Tong Xuelu took a piece of chestnut and put it in her mouth. It tasted soft and fragrant, very good.
"Comrade Wen, don't be polite. Eat more chicken. The chestnuts are delicious too."
"Okay."
Wen Rugui took a piece of chicken and took a bite.
The chicken was soft, tender and smooth, and the rich aroma jumped in the mouth, making people want to stop.
Tong Jiaxin is always the most loyal fan of food. He poured the soup on the rice, took a bite of rice and a bite of meat, and ate it so deliciously.
"It's so delicious! I used to think that braised pork was the most delicious meat I have ever eaten, but now I think braised chestnut chicken is even better than braised pork!"
"It would be great if we could eat like this every day!"
No one paid attention to his words because everyone was busy eating.
Although Wen Rugui didn't say anything, he agreed with what Tong Jiaxin said.
The braised chestnut chicken was so fragrant, the garlic cabbage was also crispy and delicious, and the tomato egg drop soup was also delicious.
He suddenly did not regret staying.
But thinking of the pickled fish that he had not been able to eat before, his resentment deepened.
Half an hour later, all the dishes on the table were cleaned up.
Tong Jiaxin leaned back in the chair and touched his stomach, thinking that this kind of life is called life.
When the old family came over, they had sweet potato porridge with pickled cabbage every day. How could that be a life for people? !
After a meal, the red date cake was also steamed.
After cooling down, Tong Xulu cut the red date cake into pieces, wrapped it, and handed it to Wen Rugui who was preparing to go back: "This is red date cake, a thank-you gift for you, thank you so much today!"
If it weren't for his help, she really couldn't rent such a good house.
Without him cleaning the house in advance, she wouldn't be able to be so worry-free as she is now.
Without him borrowing a car to help with the move, she didn't know how many times she would have to go back and forth.
Without him bringing chicken and hens, she wouldn't even have a meal.
She owed him too many favors, and she would have to repay them slowly in the future.
Wen Rugui didn't expect that she had just made red date cakes in the kitchen.
After spending a few times together, he also knew that Tong Xulu was not as shy as other girls.
He took the red date cakes and raised the corners of his lips: "Thank you for your hospitality, the food is delicious."
Tong Xulu looked at the sky and urged: "You should go back soon, otherwise you will have no car to go back if it's late."
"Okay."
It's time to go.
He has asked for three days' leave from the research center, and he has to rush back tonight no matter what, otherwise the dean might come to arrest him personally tomorrow.
After sending Wen Rugui to the door, Tong Xuelu waved at him: "If you want to come over for dinner in the future, just come over and I'll cook for you."
The setting sun was all over the sky, and the red glow shone on her face, dyeing her face red, as if she had put on rouge.
Looking at her smiling face, Wen Rugui's heart moved: "Okay."
After saying this, he forced himself to turn around and leave.
Watching Wen Rugui's figure disappear at the entrance of the alley, Tong Xuelu closed the door and went back.
**
These days, materials are scarce, and everyone wants to be as self-sufficient as possible, and the military compound is no exception.
There is a special place in the military compound for everyone to grow vegetables and raise chickens. Of course, it is not possible to raise too many, but it is still possible for each household to raise one or two.
The Wen family also raised two hens, which were raised by Grandpa Wen himself from chicks to old hens.
Grandpa Wen also named them Xiaowu and Xiaoliu.
Every day after dinner, Grandpa Wen would go to the chicken kennel to see them when he went for a walk.
But this evening when he went to the chicken kennel, he found that Xiaowu and Xiaoliu were gone!
Grandpa Wen was very anxious: "Xiao Zong, where are Xiaowu and Xiaoliu? Why can't I see them?"
Uncle Zong searched everywhere, but there was no trace of Xiaowu and Xiaoliu, and even the eggs were gone!
The uncle was also anxious: "Commander, Xiaowu and Xiaoliu are not in the chicken coop. Several families nearby have also checked, but they are not there!"
"Then why are you still standing there? Go ask Xiao Wang!"
"Yes, Commander!"
The uncle ran to the dormitory to find the orderly Xiao Wang.
Xiao Wang is the person in charge of the chicken farm, and is usually responsible for cleaning and registration.
When the uncle arrived at the dormitory, Xiao Wang was eating.
Hearing the question from Uncle Zong, he glared and said: "Uncle Zong, don't you know? But Rugui said that the commander wanted to kill chickens for soup, so I helped him kill the chickens. Didn't he take the chickens back?"
Uncle Zong was shocked: "How many chickens did he kill? Why did he kill chickens?"
Seeing Uncle Zong's expression, Xiao Wang immediately felt something was wrong: "He asked me to kill Xiaowu, and Xiaoliu was taken away by him. As for where he took him, I don't know." Uncle
Zong's face was pale.
Uncle Zong's hands were shaking. Uncle Zong
was speechless.
Xiaowu is dead, and Xiaoliu is missing!
After leaving the dormitory building, Uncle Zong ran all the way: "Commander, something big has happened!!!"
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