Chapter 121
The sky was gray at this time. Yunshui County was covered with a heavy fog. It was so white that people could not be seen clearly.
Wu Pandi wrapped herself in a thin cotton jacket and cursed in her heart. Last night, she and Ma Renyi wanted to climb the wall to Gu's house to find out what was going on in the dark night.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Ma Renyi stood on the wall, the two puppies raised by Gu's family jumped out like lightning, barking at him with their teeth bared.
The dogs raised in the army were all very fierce. There was also a fat orange cat in the yard that jumped up to chase him, frightening Ma Renyi so much that he fell off the wall, and Wu Pandi fell down with him. Her back and waist ached, and her feet still hurt.
Wu Renyi followed the armed forces to the countryside for training, and Wu Pandi could only hide at the door alone to see if she could eavesdrop on some useful information.
She froze in the cold wind for most of the day, but heard nothing, and went back to the house angrily.
At the entrance of the alley, Zhang Cuilan and her husband watched the tall and straight figure in military green disappear in the white mist, and the family of three also hurried home.
Last night, the radio predicted that it would snow today. Sure enough, snowflakes were falling outside at about six in the morning. Lin Yao looked at the dense snowflakes outside, raised her head and took a deep breath of the fresh air, feeling refreshed. Doudou
and Yuanyuan were wrapped up like little fat balls, following their mother as always, and also followed Lin Yao's example, raised their chubby little faces, and looked up at the sky.
The key point was that the two of them looked at the sky for a long time and were so confused that they didn't see anything good in the sky. It was just snowing, what was there to see?
The brother and sister simply stopped looking and stretched out their little tongues to lick the snowflakes outside. Hehe, it was cool and comfortable.
Gu Mancang came into the house from the shed carrying a basket of beehive coal and saw a big and two small children standing in the hall. He thought they were watching the snow scene, but when he came over, hey, the two little ones were eating snow!
Gu Mancang smiled good-temperedly, and Zhang Cuilan came over and gave each of them a sugar-roasted chestnut without any hesitation, "What are you two naughty kids doing? Don't cry if you have diarrhea at night. Go, stay in the house!"
The two little ones covered their heads and ran away.
Comrade Cuilan turned around and wanted to pick up the big one, but Lin Yao immediately smiled and smoothed over the stern-faced old lady, saying that her mother was really hard-working, getting up early in the morning to light the stove, and then she diligently rubbed the old lady's shoulders and waist, and even Doudou and Yuanyuan, who had run away, came over to help like little dogs.
Zhang Cuilan was not angry at all, she just laughed, "Okay, stop making noise, it's very cold outside, come inside and warm up."
The mother obediently led the two children to the house, where the stove was burning brightly. Lin Yao clapped her hands and planned to go to the kitchen to get some frozen pears, put them in a basin to thaw, and then lie on the kang to watch the snow outside, and then eat a frozen pear. It was really too leisurely in this cold weather.
The winters in Yunshui County have been unusually cold in recent years. There are not many fruits to eat in the countryside in winter, and now there is even less to eat.
Therefore, frozen pears, frozen persimmons, and crabapples from the north have become popular in the county.
Although the frozen pears in Yunshui County are not as authentic as those in Northeast China, they are also crispy and sweet. It is a real treat to sip the icy sweet juice with your mouth. The sour and sweet taste is really a treat in the snowy winter.
This kind of frozen pear is not expensive, only five cents per catty. There are old fruit farmers selling them in the production teams in the countryside. As long as the families in the county are relatively wealthy, they will secretly buy a few catties of them before dark.
Earlier, Gu Chunmei had no appetite because she was pregnant with her second child. She couldn't even eat fresh fruits in the county town. Xu Xiangqian was so anxious that he scratched his ears and cheeks. But Xu's mother was very helpful and said that it was a waste of time to find fresh fruits for your wife in the winter. It would be better to go to the brigade to buy a few pounds of frozen pears and frozen persimmons for your wife.
Xu Xiangqian suddenly became enlightened and rode his bicycle to the countryside.
In the following winters, the Gu and Xu families prepared some frozen pears and frozen persimmons at home and put them in a small jar in the corner of the kitchen. Whoever wanted to eat them could go and pick them up.
The snow fell all day long. In the evening, Doudou and Yuanyuan were warming themselves by the fire in the house while sucking on frozen pears.
Lin Yao went to the eaves to see Dahei and Xiaohei, washed his hands and went into the kitchen, took a piece of meat from the kitchen, and cooked a pot of sweet and sour, golden and crispy pot-wrapped meat. He also steamed a pot of meat cakes with the dried mustard greens that Uncle Zhang gave him.
Dried mustard greens are the dried vegetables left after blanching and drying the greens, shepherd's purse, and snow vegetable picked in the summer. This kind of dried vegetables is what people in the countryside keep for winter. It can be used as a side dish for rice, or used to steam steamed buns and flower rolls. It is especially delicious when added with pork fillings. Besides, Lin Man's cooking skills are good, and she also added pork fat. The fragrance that fills the yard is enough to make your tongue fall off.
The smell attracted Wu Pandi from next door to climb up the wall.
Yuanyuan was frightened by the blurry head outside the wall, and Wu Pandi's eyes were darting around in her yard.
Lin Yao hugged the lady soothingly, touched her head, squinted his eyes, and shouted at the dog lying under the eaves.
"Big Black! Little Black!"
When Big Black and Little Black heard this, they jumped up and pounced on Wu Pandi.
Wu Pandi was panicked and rolled and crawled back to the house.
Big Black and Little Black pounced in the air, biting nothing, and barked at the yard next door.
"What's wrong with Yaoyao?"
Gu Mancang was still cleaning the house. When he heard the noise in the yard, he came out with a broom as thick as his wrist.
Zhang Cuilan was even more awesome. She went into the kitchen, took out a shiny kitchen knife and rushed out.
The old couple thought that the county's young GM had come to their house to make trouble.
"Mom, it's okay. A cat ran over from next door and was scared away by Daju."
Lin Yao didn't tell the truth for fear that the old couple would worry.
Zhang Cuilan and her husband felt relieved and went into the house with Yuanyuan.
"..."
After a heavy snowfall, the town was freezing cold. The granddaughter came out of the public toilet, carrying a bucket of water and walked into the house with a droopy face.
The eldest daughter of the Sun family, Sun Jiayu, was throwing things around at home.
"Jiayu, what are you doing so early in the morning?"
"What for? Mom, what a crappy job my dad found for me. What kind of future can I have sitting on the bus selling tickets all day? And Lin Hongna, isn't she the director of the street? Why can't he find me a good in-law? Look at the useless worker he introduced. His family lives in a tube-shaped building of more than 20 square meters, which is crowded enough. If I really marry into that family, how can I live?"
Sun Jiayu crossed her arms and pouted, "Besides, Tianbao and his brother are about to go to elementary school. The family doesn't have enough money to spend. Lin Hongna also broke her leg and went home to recuperate. We don't know when she will recover. How much money will it cost the family? What's wrong? She is the only delicate one in the family. She can still work in the street after breaking her leg. And she has to come home to bother the whole family. She is really capable."
Speaking of this, Sun's mother also looked unhappy. Who can say it is not true?
This daughter-in-law is really something. She has been a street director for several years and is familiar with the work of a street director. How could she fall into a ditch and get injured when she went out in winter to mobilize the town's educated young people to go to the countryside? If she is injured, she is injured. It's just a shin bone that can't walk. Can't she go to work and recuperate at the same time? Why does she have to go home to recuperate? Who will go to work and support the family while she is recuperating?
The deputy mayor who just came was also stupid. He said that his daughter-in-law was an advanced person and had not rested at home for several years. He asked Lin Hongna to go home to recuperate. It was a good time for the family to reunite. What would Sun's mother say? If Lin Hongna was not allowed to come back, the neighbors on the street would be watching. If the news got out, would the old Feng family still have face?
If Lin Hongna came back, she would have to ask a doctor to see her leg and prescribe medicine. She would have to spend money on meals. She, a 50-year-old mother-in-law, had to serve her 20-year-old daughter-in-law!
Sun's mother did not say anything. Sun Jialiang, who was strolling outside, returned home slowly.
As soon as he opened the door, a cold wind swept in.
"Why is it so cold at home? What if there is no stove? Is the meal ready at home?"
Sun Jialiang shouted.
Sun's mother was cooking in the kitchen. When she heard her son's words, she hurriedly said,
"Jialiang is back. There are newly bought egg cakes in the room. Mom is cooking. You can eat the egg cake first." "
Okay."
After Sun's mother was busy, Sun Jialiang sat on the sofa with his legs crossed like his grandfather.
"What are we going to eat tonight?"
"What? Millet porridge with glutinous rice! Jialiang, your daughter-in-law is really too much! If she doesn't work, there will be no money to spend at home. The little girl is a trouble. She can't eat or drink. I have to take care of her."
Sun's mother was angry when she mentioned this.
Sun Jialiang looked nonchalant. In the past few years of farm transformation, he has suffered more than his family.
These days, the prisoners are all working at the foot of the mountain behind the farm, digging rocks and building roads.
Prisoners are usually moved to wherever they are needed for heavy work.
The farm that Sun Jialiang went to was in the mountains, with only one steep mountain road for access. It was very inconvenient for villagers to go up the mountain to the countryside. I don’t know where the farm leaders heard about it, but they took over the road construction work. Anyway, there were dozens of prisoners working at the farm.
Prisoners are, by definition, here for labor reform. If they don’t do heavy work, they don’t look like they are here for labor reform!
So the farm leaders felt at ease sending the prisoners to the foot of the mountain to start digging rocks and building roads.
The supervisors from the farm were watching very closely. The men smashed the stones while the women carried them on the road in bamboo baskets. It was so tiring to build a bridge and pave the road.
In just a few days, several prisoners collapsed. Sun Jialiang was beaten by the supervisors for not obeying the orders. He had a big scar on his head and was also among the crowd, carrying a large basket of stones on his back.
When it was time to get off work at noon, the prisoners could not go back to the farm to rest. They had to continue working in the afternoon.
Lunch was prepared by the aunts from the farm and carried on a shoulder pole.
The food was still the same as before, mixed noodles, steamed buns and pickled cabbage.
Doing such heavy work and eating oilless food all day long was unbearable for anyone.
Several prisoners secretly gave money to the cook, asking her to give them an extra steamed bun or boiled egg when distributing rice.
Some malnourished people had no strength to work, and they had no money, so they could only persevere.
Sun Jialiang had money. When his mother came to the farm to visit him, she secretly gave him 50 yuan. He kept the 50 yuan in his clothes and was reluctant to spend it.
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