Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Busy Getting Married
Uncle Guo threw the notebook onto the stool and said, "I didn't say anything."
Qingmei took the flour, walked to the well and said, "Okay, I'm old and my hearing isn't very good."
Uncle Guo: "Who are you scolding?"
Zhao Xiaoxing said, "What did you just say?"
Uncle Guo said, "You two girls are here to interrogate me?"
Zhao Xiaoxing poured some water into the pressure well, held the iron rod and pushed it down hard, using the pressure to pump up the groundwater.
Qingmei squatted under the water pipe, holding the bucket to catch the water, and said to Uncle Guo, "You are wrong. One of us is a widow and the other is a divorced woman. We are not maids anymore."
Uncle Guo laughed and said, "How can I share these two of you? One is a greedy girl, and the other is a little thief. Hey, why didn't your little master come?"
The young master he was talking about was Xiaoyan.
Qingmei said, "I asked her to help me make some pumpkin puree and spinach juice at home so that I could color the flower buns."
Uncle Guo thought for a moment, then stood up and said, "I have some wild walnuts here. Crack them and put them in here with the others."
Qingmei said, "Okay, you can do it."
Qingmei could see that Uncle Guo didn't want to talk about the past, so she just let it go.
While I was kneading the dough, Xiaoyan arrived with a basin containing a pair of scissors sterilized with sorghum wine. She wanted to make bunny buns.
After Qingmei adjusted the colors, the three of them started making flower-shaped steamed buns in the narrow courtyard.
Uncle Guo was lighting a fire in front of the stove. His family hadn't cooked for a long time, so he temporarily borrowed a steamer from old lady Ying next door.
Uncle Guo puffed on his pipe and looked at the three of them kneading steamed buns, chatting and laughing, a smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
The house hasn't been so lively for a long time. The young people don't want to associate with him, saying that he has a stubborn temper and will curse at people if he doesn't say anything right.
Apart from the symbolic visit every month from the brigade secretary to bring him some rations, the other noisy days like this had to be recalled from decades ago.
Qingmei pinched the steamed bun, preparing to make a big birthday peach for Uncle Guo.
While her hands were busy, she was also busy telling Zhao Xiaoxing, "I have a way to stop those magpies from chasing you."
Zhao Xiaoxing and Xiaoyan asked in unison: "What's the solution?"
Qingmei said, "They keep nibbling at the back of your head. Are they afraid of human eyes? Look at the scarecrow in the field, the sparrows only dare to make noise behind it and won't come close to it from the front."
Zhao Xiaoxing thought it was a bit reliable and asked Qingmei, "Then what should we do?"
Qingmei raised her chin towards Xiaoyan and said, "Let the young master sew a pair of big eyes on the back of your clothes. Let's see who dares to nag you again."
Zhao Xiaoxing: "...Is it reliable?"
Qingmei said, "How do you know if you don't try?"
Zhao Xiaoxing said: "If I fail, I will be the one being scolded!"
Xiaoyan whispered, "You even pooped on your head."
Qingmei smiled and said, "I only offer advice. It's up to you whether to try it or not. Anyway... I'm not the one who's bald."
The bald spot on the back of Zhao Xiaoxing's head was a shadow on her soul. She usually hid it with a single braid, so that no one except those close to her would notice.
"Then I'll give it a try," Zhao Xiaoxing sighed, grabbed the dough, and began to knead it. She planned to make a few magpies with gray tails and blue backs, and steam them all to eat.
There was no smoke rising from Uncle Guo's house for a long time, so the neighbors thought there was a fire in his house.
Everyone rushed to the door with basins and buckets, and saw Uncle Guo and Qingmei and the others sitting in a circle, puffing on the flower steamed buns while eating them.
Grandma Ying came over with her rice bowl, looked at the beautiful flower steamed bun and sighed, "Old Donkey, you have come to this day. I didn't lend you the steamer for nothing, so please show some appreciation."
Uncle Guo looked at the queue of steamed buns waiting to be steamed, and was worried about what to do if they couldn't finish them in the hot weather. He looked at Qingmei and asked, "Would you like to give one to the old lady?"
Qingmei held the flower bun, passed it back and forth in her hands and said, "Go get it yourself."
Grandma Ying didn't take it for nothing. She picked out the smallest, but also delicate little goldfish with a red tail. After taking it away for a while, she brought out a small plate of peanuts from home and said, "Remember, old man, I will give and take."
Uncle Guo said, "Hey, old woman, I remember."
Grandma Ying scolded her with a smile, "You are so old, yet you still take advantage of others. Here are some peanuts to go with your wine."
There lived a family of three next door. The child was seven or eight years old and squeezed between the legs to reach the flower steamed bun.
When Grandpa Guo saw this, he stood up and brought him a big magpie. The child was very happy and held the magpie in his hands happily, not wanting to give it to anyone else.
His father hurried home and poured a bowl of mulberry wine that they had brewed at home for Uncle Guo. He said a little embarrassedly, "I'm sorry, Uncle Guo, I didn't know it was your birthday today. Here's some for you."
"Hello, Uncle Guo. Thank you for your kindness." Uncle Guo took the mulberry wine and took a sip.
The child's father regretted giving Guo Laolu a large bowl of steamed buns and being bullied by him. But then he thought about how Guo Laolu had given his son a steamed bun made of white flour, so he endured it.
Uncle Guo took a sip, took a deep breath, and exhaled, saying to him, "Good wine, good wine. How about you scold me a few more times and have another bowl?"
"You are so beautiful, just dream on."
Qingmei had never understood why Grandpa Guo wasn't so popular in the village. But today, I've learned something new. If one person comes, you offend one; if two come, you offend a pair.
Zhao Xiaoxing couldn't help but complain, "You're like a turtle stuck in your neck. You're not in a good mood when you see anyone."
Uncle Guo took another sip of his mulberry wine, exhaled, and said, "I'm doing this for their own good. Who knows, one day I might have to clean up the people around the old man again."
Qingmei and Zhao Xiaoxing looked at each other and felt that Uncle Guo was speaking the truth after drinking.
Qingmei asked tentatively, "What did you do in the past?"
Uncle Guo tapped his pipe against the sole of his shoe, then relit it and took a drag. "I was sent down here, and I've been in Donghe Village for twenty years. My class background was too high, so I was labeled a criminal and forced to sleep in the cowshed. Luckily, Captain Jin was kind enough to come in. He knew if I continued to work myself into submission, I'd really fall apart, so he put me in charge of the collective livestock."
Later, Qingmei learned that he had been managing the collective livestock for many years until he retired two years ago, when he and the old donkey lived together. But he still didn't tell her what he did in the past. It seemed like he was taboo.
Zhao Xiaoxing asked, "Are you married? Do you have any children?"
Uncle Guo said, "I abandoned my wife and children. I am nothing."
Zhao Xiaoxing didn't believe it: "You are not lying to us, why do I feel like you are the one who was abandoned?"
Uncle Guo said angrily, "Stupid girl, do you really want to visit my grave on this day next year?"
Qingmei looked at Zhao Xiaoxing, then at Uncle Guo and said, "How about you help me teach her English? Then we'll take you out for dinner every day."
Uncle Guo blew out a puff of smoke, his eyes full of "Don't try to trick me" and sneered, "I teach her? Go to the grave in public, understand?"
Seeing that Uncle Guo was too lazy to talk, Qingmei had to give up.
Zhao Xiaoxing was unhappy and said, "How am I not worthy of your teaching?"
Uncle Guo said, "I am not worthy of teaching you."
Zhao Xiaoxing said, "You deserve it."
Uncle Guo said, "You are the one who is stupid."
Zhao Xiaoxing said, "Hey, you scolded me?"
Uncle Guo said, "You bully the old man. You are not a good person."
Zhao Xiaoxing shook her head and said, "I just bully old people. I'm not a good person."
Zhao Xiaoxing rolled up her sleeves and was about to start working, while Uncle Guo looked at her with his pipe in hand.
The old donkey behind them cried, "I'm hungry, I'm hungry!"
Qingmei quickly stood up, put down her bowl and stopped them. She wanted to ask Xiaoyan for help to prevent them from overturning the table, but then she saw Xiaoyan secretly laughing.
After finally calming down and eating and drinking their fill, there were still a few steamed buns left for Uncle Guo to eat tomorrow.
As they walked along, Qingmei hadn't given up on asking Uncle Guo to help teach Zhao Xiaoxing. However, these two enemies needed to make a long-term plan.
Qingmei and Xiaoyan walked on the left side of the path, while Zhao Xiaoxing walked on the right. Whenever a bird flew over, Zhao Xiaoxing would hide and dodge.
Fortunately, there were no trees on this road and few magpies passing by, so Zhao Xiaoxing was able to return home safely and cleanly.
When they got home, Zhao Xiaoxing dragged Xiaoyan to the sewing machine to sew big eyeballs.
Qingmei was waiting for Zhao Wuhe at home. She also brought back a flower-shaped steamed bun for Zhao Wuhe and her grandmother. After all, it was for the birthday party, to bring some good luck.
It was past two o'clock when Zhao Wuhe finally came.
She carried a cloth bag and said to Qingmei hurriedly, "The army car will come to pick me up to see Gu Chongshan later. Will you accompany me? I'm worried that I won't be able to control my temper. Seeing you will make me feel better."
Qingmei quickly got up and changed her clothes as she was suddenly going to meet the rumored uncle.
Thinking that it was their first meeting, Qingmei put on the milky white blouse with small magnolia flowers printed on it that Gu Qingzhou bought for her in order to make a good impression.
Zhao Wuhe helped her get her leather shoes and helped Qingmei put them on. "If you see me losing my temper, you must stop me. He's actually a good boy, but he doesn't want his mother anymore after getting married. Your sister-in-law is the most jealous, so don't take it to heart if she says something unpleasant."
"Don't worry, I'm not that kind of person."
Qingmei braided her hair quickly and pinned it to the side of her ear with a small dragonfly-shaped hairpin. After finishing her hair, she greeted her grandmother in the room, said something to Xiaoyan and the others, and then hurried out.
The army's car slowly drove to the T-junction. Seeing Qingmei and Zhao Wuhe coming, Bao Mi stopped the car, got out and opened the door.
Zhao Wuhe sat in the back seat of the car, and after getting in, she breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I changed to a sedan today, and it's still more comfortable."
Bao Mi said, "Of course it's comfortable. There's only one Red Flag sedan like this in the entire Xinghai."
Qingmei had never ridden in a Hongqi sedan before; her impression was that it was reserved for leading cadres. Today, she sat in the back seat, which felt quite refreshing.
Bao Mi was driving in the front car. He saw from the rearview mirror that his future sister-in-law was dressed very stylishly and beautifully. He was embarrassed to look at her for too long, so he opened the rearview mirror and looked elsewhere.
Zhao Wuhe said, "Are we going to the boss's unit?"
The last time I heard Gu Qingzhou say that his eldest son had been transferred back, he was stationed in the next city, and it took two hours to get there.
Bao Mi hesitated and said, "I'm not going to the army."
Zhao Wuhe said, "Then where to go? Where do he and Ruan Siqiao live?"
Qingmei also wondered, "Should I buy some gifts in advance?"
Bao Mi remembered the commander's instructions and said, "Go to the Provincial PLA Hospital."
PLA Hospital?
Qingmei thought it was over, the worst possible outcome had occurred.
She had wondered in her mind why Boss Gu never showed up.
Recalling that Qingzhou said that big brother had difficulties in completing the mission, they all thought it was related to the mission, but they didn't expect it to be this aspect.
She turned around and saw Zhao Wuhe's face wasn't looking good. She managed to say, "My eldest son may not have any other problems, but he's very lucky. Tell me, Auntie, what happened to him?"
Bao Mi didn't know much about Captain Gu's affairs. He only knew some partial information when Gu Qingzhou contacted him.
He was afraid the old lady would worry if he didn't tell her, but he was afraid she would worry even more if he told her. So he said carefully, "He's seriously injured, but he's out of danger."
Zhao Wuhe leaned back in her chair, her eyes immediately red.
She closed her eyes and listened to Qingmei ask Bao Mi: "Is the person awake?"
Bao Mi said, "He was in a coma in the intensive care unit for four and a half months and only woke up on the second of last month. However, due to the confidentiality of the mission, he was kept in isolation for ten days. Only then was the commander informed that we could meet."
He was in a coma for four and a half months.
What a serious injury this must be.
Zhao Wuhe's voice trembled as she asked, "So your leader and Ruan Siqiao both know about this?"
Qingmei reached out and held Zhao Wuhe's hand, and found that her hand was cold.
Bao Mi said: "I found out about it later."
Zhao Wuhe leaned back in her chair and murmured for a moment, "I used to think I was the only one struggling between life and death."
Qingmei frowned and looked at the receding scenery outside the window, and she thought of Gu Qingzhou.
In that previous life, Gu Chongshan failed in his mission and narrowly escaped death. Then, Gu Qingzhou failed in his mission and became a martyr. Finally, Zhao Wuhe died of a serious illness.
Is this series of events a coincidence or a deliberate targeting?
Is Gu Qianjun, Gu's father who is retired in Beijing, safe and sound?
The question mark in Qingmei's mind grew bigger and bigger. She was waiting to meet Gu Qingzhou next time and make sure to have a good talk with him.
However, after hearing Gu Qingzhou say that he had already begun to investigate the clues that led to the failure of his mission in his previous life, combined with what they told him, he should also notice the suspiciousness of these things.
The Provincial People's Liberation Army Hospital is in Yangchen City.
A provincial capital city has the appearance of a provincial capital city. The six-lane road in both directions has a pedestrian bridge every 800 meters.
To get to the Provincial People's Liberation Army Hospital, you need to turn around under the pedestrian overpass and enter the hospital gate.
After Qingmei and Zhao Wuhe got out of the car, Bao Mi took out two boxes of packaged milk powder and a fruit basket from the trunk.
This was prepared with the help of Gu Qingzhou.
Bao Mi didn't need Qingmei to carry him, he happily carried the gifts and led the way.
In front is the outpatient building, with people coming and going inside, all in green military uniforms.
Behind it is the inpatient area, divided into buildings one, two and three.
Qingmei followed Bao Mi into Building No. 1. A nurse was standing at the entrance. Bao Mi told her, "I contacted her before we came. The family is here to visit Captain Gu in bed 303."
The nurse kindly asked Qingmei and Zhao Wuhe to sign the registration book, then walked in front and led them to the third floor.
A military doctor on duty was standing at the third floor stairs. Seeing Bao Mi, he smiled and said, "I know you. Didn't you come here with your commander today?"
Bao Mi moved aside to reveal Qingmei and Zhao Wuhe and said, "The leader's family is here to visit."
The military doctor immediately dropped his smile and greeted them politely and professionally: "303 is over here, I'll take you there."
Qingmei followed to the door of Ward 303. There was a table at the door, and behind the table sat Boss Gu's communications soldier, providing close protection.
When Zhao Wuhe saw him, it was like she was meeting someone close to her eldest son.
When the signalman Xiaohua saw Zhao Wuhe, he said in a choked voice, "Auntie..."
Zhao Wuhe resisted the urge to go in and pulled his arm up and down to check it out: "Okay, you're fine."
"I'm in the barracks, but the battalion commander didn't let me go."
Xiaohua opened the door. The facilities in the ward were very simple and he could see everything at a glance.
Gu Zhongshan sat back in bed, his head bandaged. He had undergone two major surgeries due to a cerebral hemorrhage.
Ruan Siqiao was holding an insulated box containing egg soup with dumplings from the hospital cafeteria, and was feeding the child with a spoon.
Seeing Zhao Wuhe suddenly appear, Ruan Siqiao almost dropped the lunch box in his hand. Gu Chongshan grabbed it and put it on the table.
Zhao Wuhe took a deep breath and exhaled.
Gu Zhongshan was clear-headed, but his words were still stammering. He blurted out two words: "Mom... come."
Zhao Wuhe's tears instantly fell. She rushed to the bedside, took Gu Zhongshan's hand and said, "Actually, you know everything in your heart, but you just can't say it for the time being, right?"
Gu Zhongshan nodded slightly: "I know."
Ruan Siqiao pursed her lips to hold back her tears. Knowing that her mother-in-law had a lot to say to Gu Zhongshan, she gave the room to them.
When he reached the door, Ruan Siqiao saw a young girl standing there. She was dressed very fashionably, and the hairpin in her hair might even be a foreign product.
Qingmei had no idea that the meeting would be so sad. She dressed in such a hurry that she might as well have worn clothes for working in the fields.
Qingmei said with a slightly embarrassed look on her face: "Sister-in-law, I am Gu Qingzhou's girlfriend, Qingmei."
Ruan Siqiao has a humble and pleasing appearance. He and Gu Chongshan are classmates at school.
Gu Chongshan lived in the military compound at the time, and she lived in a slum.
She considered herself to be gentle and a good wife and mother, and she took the initiative to pursue Gu Chongshan.
Her marriage into the Gu family became a popular topic in the neighborhood.
The working class made a leap forward and became the wife of a cadre.
But no matter how much progress she made, it would never be as great as the leap made by the man in front of her.
Rural, poor, widowed, uneducated...
Any word that appeared on someone else would have nothing to do with Gu Qingzhou. But she had the ability to capture Captain Gu. Not only that, she also controlled her mother-in-law's heart.
Ruan Siqiao put on a dignified demeanor, nodded slightly and said, "From now on, we will be sisters-in-law. We must live in harmony."
Qingmei knew that Ruan Siqiao was a little jealous, but he was not a bad person. He spent the whole day around Gu Zhongshan and had no eyes for anyone else.
She also said politely: "Okay, sister-in-law, we will definitely live in harmony."
In order to show his closeness, Ruan Siqiao held Qingmei's hand and looked at it again and again. He wanted to praise her hands as working people, but he didn't expect that they were more delicate than his own.
She had never been a sister-in-law before, so she tried to act like one and said, "I'll leave my phone number with you later. If you have anything at home that Gu Qingzhou can't handle, just tell me. We sisters-in-law—"
Qingmei said honestly, "It's nothing that Gu Qingzhou can't handle. If it's inconvenient for him, there's still Aunt Gu."
Ruan Siqiao pursed his lips, sighed, and said, "It must not be easy for you to take care of your mother-in-law at home. If you are unhappy about anything, you can tell me."
Qingmei said sweetly, "I get along very well with Auntie Gu, don't worry. We just finished building our house a while ago, and we live together all day long, and we never quarrel."
Ruan Siqiao said sourly, "We live together now, and you really don't argue? My mother-in-law has a hot temper, and it's not easy for most young people to deal with her."
Qingmei said foolishly: "I am not an ordinary person, haha"
After saying that, I felt it was not very nice, as if it sounded a bit boastful, so I said, "...actually, she is very kind to me and very tolerant."
Ruan Siqiao thought for a moment and said, "When I first got married, she was very nice to me. She even made clothes for me."
Qingmei said, "Then we are the same. Look, yesterday Aunt Gu asked Gu Qingzhou to buy me clothes, skirts, leather shoes, and a watch. She also complained that they were not branded and asked Gu Qingzhou to buy me a better one."
Same? This is completely different. The money spent on the second brother's wife could make her twenty sets of clothes.
Ruan Siqiao said gloomily, "My husband wants to send her money every month, but she refuses to accept it. She's so kind, thinking about us in the army, it's not easy, we always have expenses."
Qingmei scratched her head and said, "She also told me to manage Gu Qingzhou's money and buy whatever he wants. We are both blessed to have such a good mother-in-law who treats me like her own daughter."
Ruan Siqiao, who hadn't been able to manage the household due to her extravagant spending, was speechless. Why did the mother-in-law have two attitudes towards her daughter-in-law? Qingmei could spend as much as she wanted, but she couldn't?
Ruan Siqiao couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Yeah, where can I find it? Anyway, I can't find it."
Qingmei pursed her lips and realized that she seemed to have touched a sore spot.
She walked silently to the bench opposite and sat down, her hands on her knees, her small body straight, to show respect.
Ruan Siqiao didn't want to continue chatting, so he sat next to Qingmei and stared blankly.
Time ticked by and the door of the ward reopened.
Zhao Wuhe stood at the door and said to Qingmei, "Come here and meet your uncle."
Qingmei stood up, straightened her skirt and walked over.
Although they said they were acquaintances, in fact it was Zhao Wuhe who was talking about how Qingmei was taking care of herself in Donghe Village and how they had a good relationship and there was no need for Gu Chongshan to worry.
Gu Chongshan had survived a near-death experience, and now, the once iron-willed man was reduced to skin and bones. However, his eyes were firm and full of conviction, which made Qingmei feel that his injury was only a temporary hindrance to his body. In time, he would recover and become a man of steel.
She kind of understood why Ruan Siqiao had been here taking care of Gu Chongshan. If it were her, Gu Qingzhou would be lying on the hospital bed dying, and she wouldn't have the energy to care about others.
After all, in Ruan Siqiao's heart in her previous life, she was not the only daughter-in-law. There was also Chen Qiaoxiang in Donghe Village serving her mother-in-law.
She takes care of her husband wholeheartedly, and her goal is to help this tough man get back on his feet.
"Brother, don't worry. Aunt Gu is very popular in Donghe Village, and my two sisters and I are here to take care of her. She's also become good friends with my grandmother. You don't need to worry too much, just focus on healing."
Gu Zhongshan said with red eyes: "Thank you, thank you."
Zhao Wuhe stayed to take care of him for a while, and then waited for the military doctor to come and tell her about the injury.
It turned out that Gu Zhongshan's comrades were accidentally discovered while carrying out a mission. Gu Zhongshan went to rescue them according to the information location, but fell into a trap. The enemy launched an attack and he was shot three times in the chest. In order to protect the secret information, he threw himself at the grenade.
If he hadn't been wearing a shrapnel vest, he would have been blown to pieces.
His comrades fought desperately to save his life, evacuated him overnight, and sent him to a special ward in the central district of Beijing, where he lay there for four and a half months.
After coming out of the hospital, Zhao Wuhe took Ruan Siqiao's hand and patted it hard several times.
The doctor also said that Gu Zhongshan's awakening was also inseparable from Ruan Siqiao's personal care. After all, they were husband and wife, and with Ruan Siqiao by his side, Gu Zhongshan could feel more at ease.
Her recovery will require the cooperation of her family, and the burden on her shoulders is not light.
"When you return to Donghe Village, Mom will make you some delicious lion's head."
Zhao Wuhe's long-held resentment was finally resolved. She took Ruan Siqiao's hand and continued, "You know the brigade headquarters' phone number. Call me every now and then. I'm worried about the eldest brother, so you have to understand. If you're too tired, I can come and take care of you. You can take a break."
Ruan Siqiao waved his hands and said, "Thank you, Mom. I'm used to taking care of him by myself. Don't worry, I'll definitely call you later."
Qingmei looked at her and said, "You can also call me."
Ruan Siqiao nodded, then accompanied him towards the car.
Zhao Wuhe got on the car first, and Ruan Siqiao quickly asked, "Has Mom ever made lion's head for you?"
Qingmei shook her head: "I haven't eaten it."
Ruan Siqiao felt better now and said proudly, "I'll give you one later."
Qingmei noticed something and said with a smile: "Okay, if you don't share it with me, I really can't eat it."
Ruan Siqiao felt relieved and waved goodbye happily.
Zhao Wuhe waited for Qingmei to get in the car and said with a smile: "If you sell her, she will have to count the money for you."
Qingmei waved her hands and said shamelessly, "How can that be? I'm doing this for the sake of our future sister-in-law relationship."
Bao Mi drove them back to Donghe Village overnight.
While driving, Bao Mi told them, "You must apply in advance every time you go there, otherwise we will arrange for you to stay in the guesthouse."
Zhao Wuhe said, "I'm relieved to know his condition. There's no need to go through all the hassle of getting a letter of introduction. I don't want too many people to know. I just hope he recovers quickly."
Qingmei understood her heart as a mother, and hearing the relief in her words, Qingmei smiled.
When he arrived at his home in Donghe Village, Bao Mi had to return to the army and walked without stopping.
Zhao Wuhe was worried about her son and planned to go back and look through some old books to see if there were any nutritious meals that were good for his health.
She thought that after she made the food, she could take a bus to deliver it every week. It would be more nutritious than eating in the hospital cafeteria.
Qingmei returned to the house by herself and heard someone talking.
She looked at her watch. It was past nine o'clock and people in the village were resting at this time.
"The elder sister is back."
Two young saleswomen from the supply and marketing cooperative stood up to greet Qingmei. Coincidentally, both had freckles on their noses. Zhao Xiaoxing nicknamed them behind their backs: Big Mahua and Little Mahua.
It's strange today, both of them came to my house.
Zhao Xiaoxing was just undecided when she saw Qingmei coming. She moved a little and said, "I've been waiting for you to come back."
Qingmei saw the guests on the sofa and greeted them, saying, "Two sisters are here. Can I make you some tea?"
The betrothal gift from Gu Qingzhou included ripe old Yunnan Pu'er tea, which was made into tea cakes and sent to her in two large boxes, saying that she should keep them and drink them slowly, as the flavor would become better with time.
"No, no, we should leave now that we've finished talking." Damahua was still wearing the salesperson's uniform, so he must have come here after get off work.
Xiao Mahua was wearing casual clothes, which must have been made by herself, and the stitching was acceptable.
Qingmei sat on the edge of the kang and asked, "What's the matter?"
Big Mahua looked at Little Mahua, who licked her lips and said, "The dress you wore when you got engaged a few days ago was very nice, and it's also very stylish for everyday wear. I want to learn from Comrade Zhao Xiaoxing and Comrade Xiaoyan."
Qingmei knew that Xiao Mahua usually did needlework at home during her free time to supplement the family income. She said she wanted to learn, but did she want to learn the patterns and make them for others?
However, the style of the clothes she was wearing was developed by Zhao Xiaoxing and Xiaoyan, so she still wanted to ask their opinions.
She glanced over and saw that Zhao Xiaoxing wanted to make clothes, earning two yuan per piece. She worked with Xiaoyan and could earn at least five or six yuan a month.
But she remembered what Qingmei said, that she should put her current work as a tractor driver and cultural studies first, and everything else should come second.
Xiaoyan, who was registered as a hukou from the next village, could only do odd jobs and couldn't earn many work points here. She made clothes for others to supplement her income and to support her studies. So if the pattern was given to them, Xiaoyan would be the one who would be most affected.
While Qingmei was thinking, Damahua stood up, took out twenty yuan from his pocket, handed it to Qingmei, and said:
"I heard that in big cities, if you want to learn something, you have to prepare a gift for your apprentice. We're learning patterns, and the apprentice is starving the master to death... It's not considerate on our part. If you're willing, this money can be considered as the price of buying the patterns, and we can all use it. If not, I'll take the money back, and we can still be good comrades when we meet in the future."
Qingmei turned to Xiaoyan and asked, "Would you like to spend less time sewing and focus on your studies?"
Xiaoyan is more intelligent in studying than Zhao Xiaoxing. She has quickly laid a solid foundation in mathematics and English. If she works harder, she might be able to create miracles.
Xiaoyan listened to Qingmei the most and said without hesitation, "Sister Xiaomei, I agree. I will do whatever you say."
Seeing her attitude, Zhao Xiaoxing sighed and said, "Forget it, I'll just concentrate on studying and working."
Da Mahua and Xiao Mahua were so happy that they quickly stuffed the money into Qingmei's pocket. Qingmei put it on the table on the kang and let Zhao Xiaoxing and Xiaoyan watch over it and divide it.
After agreeing on a time to learn the pattern, Big Mahua and Little Mahua returned satisfied.
The two were still whispering as they walked down the street.
Little Mahua said, "What good do you think they get from studying all day?"
Damahua said: "Maybe you think it's civilized? Anyway, my civilization is low, I don't study."
Xiao Mahua said: "Then my quality is also low, I would rather earn more money."
The two walked away while talking.
There is a kang room on the east side of the blue brick courtyard.
"Go to sleep. We have to go to the fields early tomorrow." Qingmei was covered with a thin quilt. Xiaoyan was weak, so she put a towel blanket on top of the quilt.
"Okay, you sleep a little longer tomorrow, I'll get up and cook."
Xiaoyan sleeps next to Qingmei. She doesn't like sleeping in her own room and is a little afraid of the dark. She likes to fall asleep naturally while talking to Qingmei and her grandmother.
Qingmei hummed, yawned, and said, "I'll buy you some malt sugar after I finish my work tomorrow."
Xiaoyan's thin face was full of happiness: "Okay."
She felt like she was living in a honeypot at the moment.
*** ***
In early June, the first spring potatoes ripen.
Men, women, young and old from Donghe Village all joined in the action, some turning potatoes, some picking potatoes, some carrying potatoes, and some selling potatoes.
These days, all I eat are potatoes.
Qingmei calls herself a potato lover, but she also gets choked by eating potatoes every day.
Compared to others, she is actually quite good off. At least she has Xiaoyan at home who is willing to spend all day thinking about making potatoes into various delicious foods and sending them to her.
For example, in Mrs. Fang's family, since the adults were working and there was no one to cook, they had to boil potatoes before going to bed at night. In the morning, everyone would carry a few potatoes and go to work.
After a few days, Xiaogang's round and chubby face became thinner. After all, because of the friendship of giving candy wrappers, Xiaoyan took the initiative to ask Qingmei if she could take the three of them along. After all, they were making them anyway, so at most they could make more.
"Whoever cooks has the final say." Qingmei said this to Xiaoyan.
When I got home from work that day, Mrs. Fang quickly brought me 200 kilograms of potatoes as food, with a very happy look on her face.
Xiaogang followed Xiaoyan around all day long and helped her out, no longer playing around with her friends. He seemed like he had grown two years older.
The harvested potatoes have to be transported to the canteens of various units at all levels, and tractors are needed again.
Qingmei and Zhao Xiaoxing were in a group, driving a tractor to deliver the supplies to the county unit. They ended up delivering them to Unit 014 that day.
The soldier standing guard was none other than the new recruit who had donated the stolen money to Qingmei that time.
He saw Qingmei startled, then grinned and said, "Comrade, it's you again! Come over here and register, and I'll take you to the third cafeteria."
Qingmei jumped off the tractor with a smile and said, "Hey, I'm coming."
During registration, the new recruit whispered, "You're amazing! Not only can you... carry a bicycle, you can also drive a tractor."
Qingmei knew that he recognized her and said with a smile, "I didn't expect you to still remember her."
The new recruit said naively, "How could I not remember? Our regimental commander even asked someone to make a mock portrait with me."
"......" Qingmei said with a straight face: "Which leader?"
The new recruit said, "It's the one you mentioned before, the one with the mole on the bridge of his nose."
He looked to the side and whispered, "That's powerful. I'm really scared of him."
Qingmei suppressed the corners of her lips that were curled up and nodded, saying, "Then you better be careful. How can you talk to people casually while standing guard?"
The new recruit said, "Since he can't catch me, I'm talking to you. It's part of the normal interrogation process. I wouldn't bother talking to anyone else."
Qingmei suppressed her laughter and said, "You are quite amazing then."
The new recruit chuckled: "Thank you for the compliment."
After registering, he led the way and Qingmei drove the tractor, humming along.
Passing by the training ground, the soldiers who were sitting on the ground to rest looked over and saw that it was a female comrade in simple clothes driving the tractor. They were more surprised than each other.
Zhao Xiaoxing sat in the truck bed, wishing she could stand up and tell them that she could drive too.
The third canteen was on the other side of the family quarters. When Qingmei was halfway there, she wanted to ask the new recruit to get on the tractor and show her the way, but he said it was against the rules and she just quickened her pace a little in front.
After walking for about ten minutes, they passed an office building. The new recruit looked back at Qingmei, meaning that a very powerful officer was here.
Qingmei understood that this was Gu Qingzhou's office. She didn't know if they could meet by chance, hehe.
The tractor drove to the door of the third canteen, and a chef was already waiting at the door after receiving a call from the gatekeeper.
"Wow, it was really a female comrade who delivered it by tractor. Thank you for your hard work. Come over and have a drink of water, Master."
Qingmei was already immune to this kind of fuss. After she jumped off the truck, she opened the truck bed, helped Zhao Xiaoxing down, and pointed at the truck bed full of potatoes. "Two thousand kilograms, one hundred kilograms per bag. You guys can weigh it and see."
The third canteen belongs to the family quarters canteen. The people working there aren't from the kitchen staff, but rather family members from various regions and retired soldiers. They all have their own jobs. Here, they're treated like military district employees. It's much better than outside anyway.
Qingmei sat on the steps, took the teacup offered and drank a few sips of water. Zhao Xiaoxing came over and said, "There are quite a few young women in there."
Qingmei said, "It's possible that he came here with the army to get a job."
Zhao Xiaoxing said, "I didn't know it was possible. I thought being a military wife was all about happiness."
Qingmei chuckled and said, "How can such a good thing happen? Everyone should do their part."
Especially when she saw Gu Chongshan and Ruan Siqiao, she really felt that the burden of being a military wife was also very heavy, and there were many unknown hardships.
Soldiers have many difficulties, and military wives also have many difficulties.
As she was lamenting, a voice came from the kitchen: "Why aren't the steamed buns rising again? Can someone help me?"
Outside, everyone was working, carrying potatoes and weighing them. Someone replied, "We won't be giving out steamed buns. You should use your research spirit."
The female comrade who needed help came out anxiously and said, "What should I do? My master is not here."
Qingmei said, "Mantou is easy to make."
The other person immediately looked at Qingmei: "Comrade, can you make steamed buns?"
Zhao Xiaoxing said from the side: "What's the big deal about steamed buns? We can even make flower-shaped steamed buns for birthday celebrations."
This time, the female comrade seemed to have found a savior. She pulled Qingmei and said, "Help me make some steamed buns quickly. My master is on vacation today and it's almost time for dinner. I can't do it by myself."
Before Qingmei could think it through, she was pulled into the cafeteria.
Qingmei had no choice but to look at the mess of dough on the counter and felt very distressed. She could only reach out and say, "Apron."
The other party quickly took out an apron and put it on Qingmei himself.
Qingmei washed her hands and asked her, "It just won't rise? What did you use to ferment it?"
The other party said, "I used the baking powder purchased from the cafeteria, but I don't know if it got damp. It didn't rise well the last few times, and today it won't rise at all. I just tasted it, and it's a little sour."
Qingmei said, "To make it sour, you need to add some alkaline flour. It's best to add a spoonful of sugar when making steamed buns."
She looked at the baking powder and saw that it was indeed damp. She said, "Any old dough left?"
The other party hurriedly ran to the shelf at the back. After a while, he came back breathlessly with a bowl containing dough.
"This is what my master put here. I don't know what to do with it. It smells sour to me already."
Qingmei said helplessly: "Your master should know that baking powder is not easy to use, so he wants to use the old fermented dough as a starter to directly ferment the new dough."
The man was in his twenties, only a few years older than Qingmei, with pigtails. Hearing this, her pigtails were so shocked that they almost stood up. "Comrade, please don't lie to me. Although we don't cook for the soldiers, the people who come to get food are their families, and they are also very important. If they get sick from eating, I'll be finished."
Qingmei said, "Comrade, if you need my help, just listen to me, otherwise everyone will only have vegetables but no staple food at noon."
She uttered an "Ah!" and her eyes fell on the wall clock. It was almost ten o'clock, and her dough hadn't risen yet.
She made up her mind to trust the beautiful girl in front of her for once, stretched out her hand and said, "Okay, if you doubt someone, don't use him. My name is Tong Zhenzhen, what's yours?"
Qingmei said: "My name is Qingmei. Let's stop talking nonsense and get started."
Qingmei mixed flour, sourdough and water in a certain proportion, and while kneading the dough, she said, "When kneading the dough, you need to make sure the dough is shiny, your hands are shiny, and the bowl is shiny."
Tong Zhenzhen said: "You said the same thing as my master!"
Qingmei felt that she was like a fool, who knew everything but just couldn't do anything.
Qingmei had no choice but to continue kneading the dough. After working on two large basins, she wiped her sweat and asked, "Is it enough?"
Before Tong Zhenzhen could say anything, the man who had been moving potatoes came back. A group of people came over to see Qingmei kneading the dough and praised her, saying, "Why not let Xiao Tong swap jobs with this comrade? I think she's much more useful than Xiao Tong."
Zhao Xiaoxing followed in and said, "That won't work. We have to drive a tractor."
With these words, she successfully brought herself in, and as expected, she received various praises from her sisters-in-law.
Since Qingmei helped to knead the dough, and later saw that they still had to cook, she simply helped to let the buns rise and steam them.
Making white flour steamed buns is much simpler than making flower steamed buns. You don’t need to worry about the shape, just knead the dough.
The sisters-in-law were busy with their own things nearby. Seeing that Qingmei worked very skillfully and could even drive a tractor, they couldn't help but ask, "Where do you live?"
Qingmei said, "I live in Donghe Village."
One of the fat ladies seemed to be the leader. She chatted with Qingmei and said, "Hey, that's not close. Did you drive the tractor here?"
Qingmei said, "The potatoes from the village have been harvested. Every day my sister and I take turns delivering them to the workplace. Today it's my turn to drive, and she has to drive when we get home."
This was a perfect statement, and Zhao Xiaoxing kneaded the dough on the side to express her satisfaction.
The fat sister-in-law obviously didn't mean to say that. She asked, "How old are you? Are you dating?"
Qingmei smiled and said, "Yes, they are engaged."
The fat sister-in-law said regretfully: "Where is the man from?"
Qingmei said, "We are from Donghe Village, just like me."
The fat sister-in-law said, "He seems to be very caring. When he saw you mention him, his eyes smiled like little moons."
Zhao Xiaoxing said, "That's not just loving her, that's protecting her like a treasure. Last month's engagement was even more lively than a typical wedding."
The fat sister-in-law said, "That's great. Girl, why don't you just help them out and make all the steamed buns?"
Qingmei thought about it and said, "Okay."
Seeing that she answered so straightforwardly, the fat sister-in-law became even more satisfied with her.
There was a thinner sister-in-law next to the fat sister-in-law. Qingmei didn’t know what to call her, so she just called her the thin sister-in-law in her heart.
The thin sister-in-law was in charge of peeling garlic. Thinking of the gossip from before, she said as she peeled, "What's important is that a man can care for others. No matter what kind of man he is, if he can't care for others, no matter how good-looking he is or how high his position is, if he has a cold look that scares people when they see him, then whoever wants to marry him is no different from sleeping in an ice hole."
Another gossipy-looking male chef came over and lowered his voice, "That's right. His personal qualities are first-rate, but his personality is terrible. When he sees a woman, he either ignores her or bullies her. No wonder he's still single."
Qingmei had never heard of such an officer. She frowned and said, "How can he be like this? He doesn't even know how to be polite when meeting a female comrade?"
The fat sister-in-law said, "This officer is a big celebrity in our family compound. He's an unmarried bachelor, and basically everyone loves him."
Everyone smiled knowingly when she mentioned that person. But that was all they could do; they didn't dare to say his name; he was "unspeakable."
A while ago, Chen Lili's joke spread to every corner of 014. Later, the person who spread the news was also punished.
Unfortunately, it led to the major overhaul of the telephone operator team, and both the team leader and the platoon leader were punished.
"But even though he's cold and aloof, there are still a lot of lesbians who rush towards him. It's quite unusual, and different from others."
Qingmei listened with the attitude of listening to gossip. It turned out that military wives were just like ordinary people. They liked to talk about something while working.
"If it's different, then he still hasn't gotten married. I think it's inconvenient for him."
"Stop talking nonsense. I think he has someone he loves."
"You're exaggerating. If it were you, he might have already married someone. He just didn't publicize it."
Qingmei listened for a long time but was confused. Because of Gu Qingzhou, she also knew several young military officers who had helped her build a house.
After all the talk, nothing matches.
Qingmei was not familiar with them, so she didn't ask any further questions.
As the conversation got more and more bizarre, the thin sister-in-law slapped her thigh and started arguing with the fat sister-in-law, saying, "I told him he wasn't good enough, but you insisted he had someone in his heart. Didn't he tell you that himself?"
The fat sister-in-law said angrily: "Then you said he was not good enough, could it be that you saw him while taking off his pants?"
Qingmei shrank her neck. This topic was a bit bold.
Qingmei finished her work and decided to leave immediately. What if they were careless and caused trouble for her potato sales? She would become the scapegoat of Donghe Village.
Qingmei finished the work at hand and hesitated about how to start the conversation.
The thin sister-in-law who was peeling garlic grabbed two pieces of garlic and said, "Help me peel some more garlic."
Qingmei: "...Okay."
"Sister-in-law, why are you here?"
A familiar voice came from the window. Bao Mi heard that there were white flour steamed buns in the third canteen today, so she came early to queue up. Xiao Jin was also there.
Bao Mi was a little bit incredulous when he saw Qingmei from the window. He walked over and heard what the sisters-in-law said. The more they talked, the more he felt something was wrong. Why did they seem to be teasing his leader behind his back? As a last resort, for the sake of his leader's image, he quickly called out Qingmei.
When Qingmei saw that it was Bao Mi, she excitedly said, "Baozi! Why are you here getting food?"
Xiao Jin, who came over from behind, also said in front of the other sisters-in-law: "I just happened to come here with the chief to do some work. I came here because I knew there were white flour buns here. Wait for me to call the chief over."
The two sisters-in-law who had just argued were dumbfounded. Bao Mi and Xiao Jin were very popular in the family compound. They followed Captain Gu around, and anyone who knew Captain Gu knew them.
The thin sister-in-law was going crazy. She stood up, walked over to Qingmei and asked, "What did those two soldiers call you just now?"
Qingmei said shyly, "Sister-in-law."
They didn't call each other before, but after they got engaged and knew they were going to get married, they didn't have any reservations.
The fat sister-in-law's face turned pale: "Didn't you say your partner is from Donghe Village?"
Bao Mi said: "My leader is from Donghe Village."
You could hear a pin drop in the kitchen.
Everyone looked at each other, frantically trying to recall if they had said anything wrong.
Isn't this too embarrassing? Is it okay to discuss this in front of someone's partner...
Fortunately, the girl was good-tempered and didn't get angry.
The thin sister-in-law walked forward silently and took the garlic back from Qingmei. She really wanted to slap herself in the face. Why did she order Captain Gu's girlfriend around when she could order anyone around?
However, the aunts were still very curious about how Captain Gu, a cold and aloof person, could get along with his partner. Would he just give her a few words and ignore her?
Xiao Jin entered the kitchen, looked back, and said, "My sister-in-law is right here!"
Gu Qingzhou heard the end of the conversation and thought it was just a small talk, so he asked, "What happened to Donghe Village?"
Obviously no one dared to answer him. The husbands of his two sisters-in-law were serving as company commanders and platoon leaders under Gu Qingzhou, so no one dared to say a word.
Gu Qingzhou was so surprised when he saw Qingmei was really in the kitchen: "Comrade Qingmei, you're here?"
As he said this, he stretched out his hand to indicate that he wanted to shake hands, and took the opportunity to squeeze the little hand in public.
Is this still the same Captain Gu who was cold and aggressive towards female lesbians, often driving them to tears? The look he gave me just now was full of protectiveness.
Remembering what Qingmei had just said about the various advantages and favors of her boyfriend, the sisters-in-law understood that it was not that Captain Gu had a bad attitude towards female comrades, but that he was arrogant and had not met someone who could make him lower his attitude.
Now that the person was in front of him, Captain Gu naturally showed an attitude different from that he showed to others.
Gu Qingzhou shook hands with Qingmei in a friendly manner. The sisters-in-law were all experienced people and they immediately realized that he was abusing his power for personal gain and wanted to touch the woman's hand.
Captain Gu turned out to be this kind of person...
Everyone's understanding of him was refreshed.
Gu Qingzhou disagreed. The marriage report was immediately approved, and Qingmei was about to become his wife. It was okay for a gay man to shake hands with his wife in public? How could that make sense?
Qingmei pursed her lips and pulled her hand back. Why did he hold on to her so tightly? It was so embarrassing.
Gu Qingzhou smiled and finally let go of his hand.
Seeing that the atmosphere was right, the fat sister-in-law quickly said, "Oh my god, I'm sorry, girl. Look, I just said something careless. Actually, I don't have any bad intentions at all."
The thin sister-in-law also said: "I don't have any bad intentions, I just heard it from others."
Gu Qingzhou turned his head and found the atmosphere was subtle. He smiled and asked, "What did you say?"
He smiled like that, and it was worse than not smiling at all. Who didn't know he was a master of the art? Who knew how he would handle the situation once he left the kitchen?
The fat sister-in-law suddenly didn't dare to speak.
Seeing them like this, Qingmei pulled Gu Qingzhou and said, "Let's go out and talk. We didn't say anything. The sisters-in-law still have to cook, so let's not disturb them."
Qingmei took Gu Qingzhou and walked past Tong Zhenzhen, nodding and greeting her.
Gu Qingzhou's eyes suddenly looked over.
Tong Zhenzhen was going crazy, so she forced a smile and said goodbye to Qingmei.
The person she'd brought in to help with the chores, who'd even kneaded five large basins of steamed buns for her, was actually Captain Gu's girlfriend! The future top-tier officer's wife in the 014th Unit? Did they really have to hide it so well?
Qingmei had almost finished helping, so she took off her apron and put it aside, said goodbye to them, and left the cafeteria.
The sisters-in-law followed behind and watched her until she reached the door, fearing that she would complain.
The fat sister-in-law was plump but smart. She quickly returned to the kitchen and brought back four white flour buns. With a blushing face, she placed them in front of Qingmei and said, "It's already dinner time. Why are you still leaving? You can take the buns. We can't let you work for us for nothing."
Qingmei took the steamed bun she made and said with a smile: "Okay, I know, don't worry."
The fat sister-in-law nodded vigorously and watched Qingmei and Gu Qingzhou go to talk somewhere else.
On the way back to the kitchen, she met the thin sister-in-law who arrived a little late. The fat sister-in-law pushed her and said, "It's all your fault! She's actually Captain Gu's girlfriend!"
The thin sister-in-law said depressedly: "Then you still want to steal Captain Gu's girlfriend."
The fat sister-in-law said, "Okay, our eldest sister won't talk about the second sister. I won't even make jokes from now on."
Alas, she never dared to talk about people behind their backs again. It was really retribution.
Qingmei was taken by Gu Qingzhou to the bottom of an apartment building.
A few pieces of lime powder fell off the wall, and mottled sunlight slanted on them.
At noon in the military compound, it is quiet and far-reaching.
There is still some time before the end of the working day, so no one will pass by.
Gu Qingzhou openly blocked his little girl in a deserted place, took her hand and said, "Let's kiss first?"
Qingmei said, "It's outside."
Gu Qingzhou said, "Well, after we get married, we'll kiss hard at home. Will you just put up with it today?"
Qingmei was hesitating, and Gu Qingzhou unbuttoned the two buttons under his jacket and pressed her little hands on her abdominal muscles, only through a thin layer of shirt.
The warm and firm touch made Qingmei make a decision immediately: "Don't use too much force, it will swell up and Zhao Xiaoxing will definitely laugh at me."
Gu Qingzhou put his arm around her waist, lowered his eyes and said coaxingly: "I'll be gentle, be obedient."
He lifted Qingmei's chin with his other hand and said with a deep look in his eyes, "Open your mouth."
......
Zhao Xiaoxing waited on the tractor for a while. Seeing Qingmei come back with a red face, she deliberately asked, "Where have you two been? Where is Captain Gu? Why is your face red again? Why is he like this? You just praised him for being caring, and now he's so caring."
"Don't ask questions when you already know the answer and say a bunch of nonsense."
Qingmei said with a blushing face, "Do you believe that I will remove all the big eyeballs from your clothes when we get back?"
Qingmei's idea was quite useful. Ever since Zhao Xiaoxing had the big eyeballs sewn on the back of her clothes, she hasn't been attacked by fighting chickens for a long time, and there has been much less bird droppings falling from the sky.
"Tsk, who hasn't kissed before?" Zhao Xiaoxing immediately said honestly, "Come on, let's go. This time, I'll drive."
*** ***
After digging potatoes in June, we need to fertilize and control insects for the rice, and then harvest in September.
In the past three months, Qingmei has been so busy that her heels are hitting her head.
Tractor drivers' work looks easy, but it's actually very hard.
I don’t know who came up with the idea, but in their free time, there were always educated youth standing by the edge of the fields shouting slogans to cheer them on, and beating gongs and drums.
Qingmei even complained to Zhao Xiaoxing: "If you have the strength, why don't you help harvest the rice?"
She wore a straw hat and a blackened white towel tied around her neck.
Bent over in the fields, she was cutting rice. While others were exhausted, she had sharp eyes and would pounce on the slightest movement at the rice roots.
Zhao Xiaoxing watched from the side as Qingmei caught another rice paddy crab and put it in the net bag behind her butt. She said in confusion, "This thing doesn't have any meat at all, why do you like it so much?"
Qingmei grabbed a handful of rice and continued cutting it, saying, "You don't understand how delicious our village's river crabs are."
After the reform and opening up, Donghe Village's rice field crabs became a household name. They are naturally farmed in rice paddies. They are no bigger than hairy crabs, but are extremely delicious.
Later, the brand of "Donghe Village Rice Field Crab" was created. At that time, it was not like today where you can just catch the crab in the fields and eat it.
Zhao Xiaoxing could occasionally catch three or two rice field crabs, and she gave them to Qingmei because she disliked the lack of meat. This was Qingmei's only comfort after work every day.
After beating drums and gongs to boost morale, the educated youths got some mung beans from somewhere and boiled some water to help the villagers who were working to cool down.
The dog days of summer have just passed, and the autumn heat is here again. The green plums are too hot.
"Comrade Qingmei, have some mung bean soup. I used my well water to cool it down for a long time and saved it especially for you."
Wang Liya was holding a large bowl. The liberation cap on her head had been replaced with a triangular scarf. The arrogance on her face had also disappeared a lot after several months of training.
After a trip to the countryside, she was completely transformed. Seeing the arduous scenes of plowing the fields and harvesting in autumn, she realized her past shortcomings and became polite to the villagers.
But I don't drink green plums.
She even took a few steps to the side.
Wang Liya said awkwardly, "...Everyone else has it, so there's no special treatment for you."
Qingmei swallowed her saliva. The sun was scorching, so she thought it would be helpful to drink something. She walked over again and said, "Then take a sip and show me."
Wang Liya had no choice but to take a small sip, then picked up the bowl and said, "Look, it's okay."
Qingmei then came over, took the large bowl and drank it down in one gulp.
So comfortable!
Wang Liya watched her finish her drink, feeling awkward. In fact, she had added her own portion of mung bean soup to Qingmei's, otherwise Qingmei wouldn't have been able to drink so much. But if Wang Liya didn't say anything, Qingmei wouldn't know.
Wang Liya feels that her greatest progress is learning to be nice to people without showing it, rather than showing off in front of others.
Wang Liya took the empty bowl, took two steps, turned around, called Qingmei, and said with a face full of shame, "Comrade Qingmei, I'm really sorry for what happened before."
The childhood sweetheart had long since moved on. That little thing shouldn't be lingering in her heart. Those days never happened. And in the end, she wasn't the one who got hurt.
Qingmei waved her hand handsomely: "Forget it, let's not talk about it."
Wang Liya smiled and said, "Can I be your friend?"
Qingmei slowly turned her head while holding the sickle and said, "It's still a little short."
Wang Liya took a step back and said, "Then I'll wait a little longer."
Qingmei said, "Okay."
When she got home in the evening, Qingmei soaked her feet in a bucket, which was covered in mud.
No wonder Wang Liya used to call her fellow farmers "mud-legged peasants".
Zhao Wuhe walked in and tore off a page from the calendar on the wall.
Pointing to the date on it, he said, "In three days it will be October 2nd, your big wedding day. The other end told me that everything is almost ready. How do you feel about that?"
Qingmei was so tired from working that she was almost exhausted, but fortunately today was the last day of autumn harvest.
Her feet soaked in a bucket of water, her upper body slumped on the kang, and she murmured, "It doesn't feel real at all. I'm actually getting married."
Zhao Wuhe said, "Are you going to get your marriage certificate tomorrow?"
Qingmei said, "Well, he agreed to pick me up tomorrow."
Zhao Wuhe smiled and said, "That's great. We can have the wedding the day after tomorrow after we get the certificate. You can finally become my daughter-in-law in a legitimate way."
Qingmei was both excited and nervous about her upcoming wedding day. Gu Qingzhou told her not to worry and to focus on the autumn harvest.
While she was working, she still missed Gu Qingzhou very much in her heart.
It's been a month since I last saw you.
She glanced up at the bright moon in the sky.
I hope that day will be safe and sound.
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