Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Even if it’s not nice, don’t be so unlucky…
Gu Qingzhou put the cotton in the trunk. In the trunk was a brown box that Zhao Wuhe had prepared for Qingmei. He stuffed it in before putting it down.
After getting on the bus, Qingmei kept looking south and asked him, "I guess I saw it right just now."
Gu Qingzhou said, "You're not mistaken." He didn't mention the name so as not to make Qingmei feel pity.
Qingmei was not as kind and weak as he thought. After living a new life, she had let go of many things and realized that many of them were her own fault.
It was still a long way to go before returning to the army, so Qingmei slept for a while with her head resting on Gu Qingzhou's legs.
As we drove out of the city, snowflakes began to fall outside the car window, mixed with sesame-sized ice particles that fell on the window, making a tiny crackling sound.
When Qingmei woke up, the jeep had already entered the military compound.
There was no snow on the ground, and occasionally white marks could be seen from the corners of the eaves.
Qingmei followed Gu Qingzhou into the house and huddled beside the small stove waiting for Gu Qingzhou to light the fire.
Bao Mi took the things out of the trunk of the car, rubbed his hands and said, "The snow fell really early this year."
Qingmei noticed that Gu Qingzhou's brows were slightly furrowed, and thought that there should be special rescue funds this year so that he wouldn't be so worried.
After Bao Mi left, Qingmei pulled Gu Qingzhou to sit next to the small stove: "Why aren't you talking? Are you worried about the snow?"
Gu Qingzhou wrapped his still-chilled wife in his coat, as if tucked in his arms, and whispered, "The snow came so suddenly, many of our fellow villagers probably didn't have time to prepare winter supplies."
The army has special supply transportation routes, which are different from those of local people.
Qingmei said, "Forget about them. If we hadn't gone back to buy some winter vegetables, our family would have been waiting until the middle of the month to prepare them. It looks like it'll snow heavily by the middle of the month."
Gu Qingzhou said, "Let's eat first. I'll go get some food."
Qingmei pulled his sleeve and said, "Is all that cotton over there for me?"
She originally planned to make only a cotton-padded jacket, but the weather changed so quickly that she felt the cotton-padded jacket could not withstand the cold, so she had to make a cotton-padded jacket.
Gu Qingzhou said, "I've already asked a craftsman at a garment shop to make your cotton-padded jacket, and it's due at the end of the month. Don't bother making it yourself these days. If you have nothing to do, make a cotton-padded jacket to wear indoors, and wear my military coat when you go out."
Qingmei laughed and said, "Do you know how tall you are and how tall I am?"
Gu Qingzhou paused and said, "Tomorrow I'll ask the female soldiers for you. If anyone has something they're not wearing and is willing to give it to me, I'll exchange it for men's clothes."
Qingmei also wanted to wear a military coat, which was crisp and handsome, so she agreed and said, "Then you haven't told me what you are going to do with all that cotton?"
Gu Qingzhou said, "I'm afraid you'll be cold, so I'll bring some back and store it in your quilt."
Qingmei lifted her feet and said, "You've already planned everything for me, including clothes and blankets, but what about my cold feet?"
Gu Qingzhou came up and was about to take off her shoes. Qingmei quickly huddled up, hugged her knees, and asked, "What are you doing?"
Gu Qingzhou said, "Your cotton shoes and cotton coat are made together. If you are cold now, I will help you keep warm." He lifted his clothes to reveal his amazing abdominal muscles and said, "Come here."
Qingmei stretched out her feet shyly, but he pinched her ankles and stuffed them into her clothes.
Gu Qingzhou took a breath and said with a smile: "Little girl, you just walked out of the snow, right?"
Qingmei hooked her toes in his arms, feeling the solid muscles. Gu Qingzhou patted her, so she pretended to be honest and said, "Brother, I'm hungry."
Gu Qingzhou said: "If you are hungry, I will go get you some food. If you keep clinging to me, you are up to no good."
Qingmei gritted her teeth and said, "Brother, you are a wolf in disguise. Why do you stop being human when it gets dark? Who of us is up to no good?"
Gu Qingzhou smacked his lips, and saw that his wife by the fire was truly a feast for the eyes. The firelight flickered on her face, giving her the feeling of looking at a beautiful woman under a lamp.
The skin on his hands was so soft and smooth that he didn't even notice it turning red when he used too much force.
Qingmei was leaning against the bed when she felt Gu Qingzhou's eyes change. She looked down, and Gu Qingzhou also looked down.
"Beast." Qingmei cursed and fled to the bed. The bed was still cold. As soon as she touched the sheets, her ankles were grabbed and a hot breath instantly touched her back.
Qingmei felt that she should resist bravely, so she kicked his shoulder and said, "I'm really hungry."
Gu Qingzhou didn't say anything, but looked like a hungry wolf.
... ...
It's late at night.
There was someone on duty in the corridor who had just returned.
The nights in early winter are usually cold and biting, but the rich and warm aroma of chicken soup wafts from the corridor.
"Who the hell is up in the middle of the night making chicken soup? It's making me greedy and confused. How can I sleep?"
Gu Qingzhou moved his ears, and huddled his huge body on a small stool, diligently fanning the small stove to simmer chicken soup.
After all, Zhao Xiaoxing was reliable and forced three chickens into their mouths before leaving. Qingmei initially refused, which made Zhao Xiaoxing's face red and her neck thick.
Qingmei was wrapped in the quilt, biting calcium milk biscuits to satisfy her hunger, staring at Gu Qingzhou with her watery almond eyes.
He was told to wait, but he ignored him. By the time he was finally radiant, the cafeteria had already closed. All he could do was stew the hen he'd cleaned up to appease his wife, or else he'd have to sleep under the bed.
Qingmei was so angry and annoyed.
This guy is too energetic.
It was a cold day, and the thin layer of sweat on her body had long since faded. She wrapped herself in the quilt and hugged the hot water bottle. Gu Qingzhou took a cold shower in the bathroom, and when she came back, she didn't feel cold even wearing a military vest.
Qingmei estimated the time and said, "Red dates."
Gu Qingzhou immediately stood up and took the small bowl from the table and put the red dates in it. Under the dim light, three or four long red marks were faintly visible on his back.
Qingmei was so embarrassed that she turned her head and wrapped herself in the quilt and continued to pretend to sleep, so as to avoid the man looking at her with those murderous eyes again.
Gu Qingzhou closed the gap in the door a little smaller, fearing that the cold wind would blow onto his precious baby.
Early in the morning, a few sparrows flew onto the balcony.
They chirped and woke up the people who were sleeping soundly in the house, then they flapped their wings and flew away.
Qingmei got up and found that Gu Qingzhou had left. The window was open a little and the small stove was moved next to the table.
The room was already warm from the small stove, and Qingmei spotted the earthenware pot on the dining table. She slipped over in Gu Qingzhou's large cotton slippers, and saw the chicken soup inside had solidified a bit.
There were Gu Qingzhou's flamboyant handwriting on the bottom of the earthenware jar, asking her to warm the chicken soup on the fire so she could drink it directly after washing up.
When Gu Qingzhou wasn't around, Qingmei was obedient. She obediently picked up the thermos and filled it with water to wash her face and brush her teeth. There was no hot water in the water room in the middle of the night, so Gu Qingzhou must have been boiling water on the small stove and pouring it into the thermos.
Qingmei drank a big bowl of chicken soup in the morning, and saved half of it to make chicken noodle soup with Gu Qingzhou at noon, and also left a chicken leg for Gu Qingzhou.
She got up, opened the door, and planned to go to the back door to buy some vegetables from her fellow villagers to pickle. If it snowed heavily later and she didn't want to go to the cafeteria, she would just make do with what she had. Anyway, with the big box of nutritional supplements her mother-in-law had given her, she wouldn't have to worry about malnutrition.
She waited until noon, but Gu Qingzhou didn't come back.
Seeing her still pacing the corridor, Xiaojuan called out to Qingmei, "Are you waiting for Captain Gu to eat?"
Qingmei said: "Yes, he hasn't come back yet."
Xiaojuan arrived earlier and knew more about the army's affairs than Qingmei. She pulled Qingmei into her room and said to her, "Look how cold your hands are outside. I'm telling you, don't wait until noon. They probably have something urgent to do."
As soon as Qingmei entered the house, Bao Mi ran over and said anxiously, "The leader won't be back at noon, and may not be back at night. Sister-in-law, take care of yourself."
Qingmei walked to the door and said, "Are you going on a mission?"
Bao Mi took out a women's military coat from his bag and gave it to Qingmei, saying, "I think so, but I'm not sure yet. The commander told you to put it on first so you don't get cold. You can use the cotton in the house wherever you want. He has tickets to buy more."
Qingmei took the heavy military coat in her hands. Bao Mi stood aside, probably having received orders from the leader, and wanted to see if the coat fit his sister-in-law well.
Xiaojuan helped pull up the sleeves. After Qingmei put them on, the length was perfect, but the sleeves were a little long and needed to be rolled up. "Okay, I'll just shorten the sleeves later."
Bao Mi said, "Don't change it, or you won't be able to hold your hands back when you go out." Seeing that his sister-in-law was wearing it properly, he said with confidence, "Then I'll go over. The commander is waiting for my reply."
"You all remember to eat." Qingmei said worriedly, "Don't drink cold water on an empty stomach."
"Thank you for your concern, sister-in-law. I will definitely tell the leader." Bao Mi waved to Qingmei, nodded to Xiaojuan, and then went downstairs.
Since Gu Qingzhou couldn't come back, Qingmei simply made chicken noodle soup with Xiaojuan.
"Captain Gu's cooking skills are really good. But I won't eat the chicken leg. I'll give it to you." Xiaojuan knew her limits. This was the chicken soup that Gu Qingzhou had spent most of the night making for Qingmei. It would be inappropriate for her to eat someone else's chicken leg.
Qingmei had eaten one in the morning, so she simply tore the meat off the chicken leg and shared it with Xiaojuan. Seeing her like this, Xiaojuan ate it.
"The chickens are raised by my sisters at home. I feed them too when I have nothing to do." Qingmei took a sip of the chicken soup from the bowl. The loving chicken soup was really delicious.
Xiaojuan was a very frugal daughter-in-law, and her family had never made chicken soup. But when she saw the golden-yellow chicken soup, she knew it was carefully raised, with much more oil and water than chickens kept in greenhouses outside.
After eating chicken noodle soup, Qingmei and Xiaojuan went to the back door together, where there was a market.
There were not many people in the market in the afternoon. Qingmei bought radishes, cabbages, winter bamboo shoots, and a bottle of white vinegar.
She planned to pickle some radish and some shredded winter bamboo shoots and chicken to go with the rice.
Looking back, it seemed like Gu Qingzhou was on an urgent mission, so she could ask Bao Mi to bring some food to go with the meal. She didn't have to keep hearing Zhao Wuhe say that they were eating rice with soy sauce, which made her feel bad.
Xiaojuan also bought radishes and cabbage. She would make pickles from the radishes and store the cabbage for sauerkraut.
Qingmei knew how to store sauerkraut, but she didn't have a jar and hadn't lived there as long as Xiaojuan. Xiaojuan simply asked Qingmei to give her the cabbage and they could store it together, thinking it was no big deal.
Qingmei was naturally happy. We often ate sauerkraut at home, but we had no appetite in winter. The fragrant and appetizing sauerkraut soup made with broth, pork ribs and sauerkraut was her favorite. Adding some boiled pork and blood sausage on top made it even more delicious.
The two of them bought vegetables and prepared them on Qingmei's balcony. The corridor was also acceptable, but Qingmei disliked the smell of cooking fumes and couldn't pickle the vegetables properly.
Xiaojuan likes to be with Qingmei. If she doesn’t go to the corridor, she won’t go either.
Qingmei was chopping radishes while Xiaojuan put the cleaned cabbages in a jar, leaving only one. Qingmei saw it and said, "Have you ever tried spicy cabbage?"
Xiaojuan asked, "The kind that the Xian people eat?"
Qingmei smiled and said, "Yes, how about we pickle one? I'll go to the cafeteria to buy some ingredients later."
If you need pickled vegetables or meat here and you don't have any seasoning, you can go to the canteen and buy some in small quantities. The quartermaster has contacted the canteen and asked them to take better care of the family members.
Xiaojuan said, "That's great, you can go now. If it's too late, they won't have time to prepare the seasoning for you."
Qingmei then stood up, washed her hands in the basin and said, "Then wait, I'll be back soon."
Xiaojuan took Qingmei's kitchen knife and helped cut the radish. She nodded and said, "Okay, put on more clothes."
While Qingmei went to the cafeteria, Xiaojuan was cutting vegetables skillfully.
About five minutes later, someone tentatively called out at the door, "Is Comrade Qingmei home?"
Xiaojuan didn't hear it at first, but the person at the door took two steps inside and said, "Is Comrade Qingmei home?"
Xiaojuan was startled and almost cut her hand. She yelled, "Who is it?"
Mrs. Liang didn't see anyone on the balcony, she only saw Qingmei running out in a hurry without closing the door.
She quickly raised the iron pot in her hand and said, "I saw that she didn't close the door, and since there are so many people here, I helped her watch over some things."
Xiaojuan walked into the house with a kitchen knife. She didn't think Mrs. Liang was so kind as to help her childhood sweetheart, who had bullied her, to guard the door. She looked sneaky, as if she saw someone coming in with the door open and wanted to take a look around.
"She went out and no one came in, so it was you who sneaked in with your sneaky eyes."
Xiao Juan clenched the kitchen knife tightly and swept it towards Mrs. Liang, saying coldly, "There's someone else in her room, what else do you want to do?"
Mrs. Liang didn't dare to steal Qingmei's things. She just saw delicious aroma coming out of her house from time to time and wanted to see what good things she had in her house.
Now standing at the door and looking around, there is nothing special. The room is just clean and tidy, and there are more books on the desk.
Mrs. Liang said, "Why are you still hanging the curtain?"
"You're still looking into other people's houses. Get out of here." Xiaojuan had no good impression of Mrs. Liang and chased her out.
Mrs. Liang walked awkwardly into the corridor and ran into Wang Jiayuan, who had come to play with her childhood sweetheart. She couldn't help but complain, "Look, she really treats someone else's house like her own, even helping cut radishes. I was wondering how she got along so well with the regiment commander's wife, but it turns out she's just a servant or nanny."
Wang Jiayuan glanced into the room and saw Xiaojuan glaring at Mrs. Liang.
She immediately understood what was going on and said mockingly, "You're already quite old, but why are you like a mouse that just left its nest, rushing into any open door you see?"
Xiaojuan was originally angry, but suddenly she smiled.
Qingmei came back with a bag of seasonings and heard some laughter in the corridor. She thought it was a joke, but when she got closer, she realized it was just a group of people trying to bully someone.
Xiaojuan complained as soon as she saw Qingmei: "She thought you left and went into your room."
Qingmei glanced at Mrs. Liang indifferently and said, "If you don't change your bad habits, I will report you to President Qin. She is in charge of family members. Be careful that she will prevent you from visiting your relatives when you return home."
Mrs. Liang was shocked. She had heard about the power of the Women's Committee. Officers were managed by the army, while their families were under the jurisdiction of the Women's Committee. Anyone who disobeyed would be dealt with as strictly as the soldiers.
Wang Jiayuan continued, "Last time, we dealt with the family of a petty thief, and her husband was also criticized for condoning his relatives' mistakes."
Xiaojuan said, "If a man registers with his superiors, he will have no hope of promotion in the future."
"I didn't, I really didn't."
Mrs. Liang was so anxious that she wanted to grab Qingmei's hand and press it to her heart to swear. Qingmei pulled her hand away, her disgust evident in her words.
Mrs. Liang pointed to the sky outside the corridor and swore, and was mocked by the family members passing by: "Have some evil spirits infiltrated the army?"
Mrs. Liang wanted to explain: "I really didn't touch your things. I just wanted to help you watch the door when you were not around..."
Qingmei smiled and said, "Just lie to yourself."
Qingmei slipped into the house, and Wang Jiayuan followed her in, then closed the door, brushing Liang Saozi's nose.
Mrs. Liang looked around and saw family members talking in groups of three or four outside in the corridor. They must have seen what had just happened.
She then told them, "I really didn't intend to go in and steal anything."
They ignored her and treated whatever she said as a joke.
Liang Saozi had no choice but to return to her room and close the door in shame. Ever since Qingmei came, she spoke less and less to everyone, and everyone seemed to be subtly ostracizing her.
Mrs. Liang thought that if this continued, she would report it to the Women's Committee, saying that the team leader's wife was taking the lead in isolation and destroying the unity of the group.
"Hey, how did you fix the radio?"
Qingmei saw the radio on the balcony railing. She and Gu Qingzhou tried for a long time but there was no signal. Later they thought the radio was broken.
Xiaojuan took the kitchen knife and sat back down in the corner of the balcony. She picked up the radish and said, "I don't know. I just put it here and opened it and there was a sound."
Qingmei was so happy that she guessed that there was a signal in the balcony area, so she held the radio and tried other places. There was only a signal on the balcony and the window next to the balcony.
When Wang Jiayuan heard that they were going to make pickles to go with rice, she quickly took half a large white radish left at home and joined in learning.
With someone by my side, the day passed quickly.
Gu Qingzhou didn't come back at night, and Qingmei couldn't sleep. The wind was very strong outside, as if it was blowing into the house through the cracks in the window.
There is no shortage of coal balls in the small stove, it burns brightly and the room is warm.
She read a book in bed for a while and fell asleep with difficulty.
After breakfast the next day, there was already snow on the roof.
Wang Jiayuan came to Qingmei again and asked her if she could make Platycodon pickles. She bought some at the back door market in the morning.
Qingmei went to her home to get water to wash and pick vegetables.
The radio signal was good at first, and a storyteller was telling a story. Suddenly, a news report broke: "Heavy snow has suddenly fallen north of Changshan. It's expected to continue moving northward today and tomorrow. All households in the city are advised to prepare their homes for snow."
This broadcast was played three times in a row.
Wang Jiayuan said, "I heard this morning that many houses collapsed in Changshan County, all under the weight of the snow."
Qingmei wasn't in a good mood. She picked some Platycodon grandiflorums listlessly and said, "The vegetables aren't very fresh anymore."
Wang Jiayuan said: "It must have been stored in the cellar for a long time. The color looks good, but there is no moisture inside. I don't know how it will turn out after it is pickled."
Qingmei sighed softly.
Xiaojuan stood in the corridor and called Qingmei: "The troops are about to leave, come and see."
Qingmei didn't know what "departure" meant, so Wang Jiayuan told her, "It means we're going on a mission."
Qingmei, still holding a handful of Platycodon grandiflorum, ran to the corridor and saw a long line of trucks slowly driving away from the road outside the family quarters.
Xiaojuan patted Qingmei's arm and said, "The one in the jeep in the front is Captain Gu. I saw him glance over here."
Qingmei was on the balcony at that time and didn't see it.
Qingmei watched the jeep slowly drive away with some regret. Needless to say, it was headed to Changshan County for rescue.
The corridor was filled with family members, including some who usually didn't like going out. Everyone's hearts were tied together, hoping that their husbands would return safely.
Qingmei was not wearing a cotton jacket. After looking for a while, she ran into the house.
The radio was broadcasting: "This snowstorm is the worst in ten years. Troops have already gone to Changshan County for emergency rescue—"
Qingmei knew this happened every year. Xinghai City might not be large, but it was dotted with villages, and people lived close to the mountains and the sea. Be mindful of floods in the summer and snow in the winter.
Qingmei thought, no wonder this place was not considered a good place before the reform and opening up. Most people's impression of it was that it was a small mountain and sea town.
Qingmei waited at home for three days, but Gu Qingzhou still didn't come back.
Aunt Qin came to visit her once to reassure her, which was a common occurrence, and she even invited Qingmei to her home for a meal.
By the fourth day, the blizzard was getting worse.
The affected residents of Changshan County received aid, and six villages north of Changshan also needed help. The provincial capital's supplies were blocked by heavy snow. Aunt Qin, after consulting with Commander Wang, mobilized the residents of the family housing complex to donate unwanted clothing and bedding.
Normally, family members are reluctant to give away the army’s belongings. However, the army’s belongings are very durable and will not break down after four or five years of use.
But at this time, my other half was out on rescue missions, and there was no use keeping the old clothes piled up at home. It would be better to provide timely assistance to the disaster-stricken people, which would be a show of unity between husband and wife.
"The villagers have been rescued and no one is seriously injured, but we need a few comrades with nursing experience to keep an eye on them." Aunt Qin held a meeting with the family members on the playground of the family quarters and her voice was almost hoarse from shouting.
Soon two comrades who were nurses came forward.
Aunt Qin arranged for them to follow the convoy in front.
Aunt Qin also said that she needed to prepare big pot meals for the villagers and needed manpower for this purpose.
Qingmei, who was standing at the back, had not yet had time to raise her hand when four or five family members who had done this job last year called each other to come up.
There was nothing to do afterwards, so we started counting the donated supplies.
Qingmei, wearing a military cap and coat, and the thick cotton shoes she had hastily made over the past two days, looked like a round dumpling from a distance. She stood in the crowd, preparing to leave.
At least the wind wasn't that strong. She had just donated her old cotton shoes, which she had cleaned and dried over a small stove last night.
The old clothes donated by everyone were piled up on the playground. A company commander came over and said to Aunt Qin, "These supplies can be put to good use, but the comrades in our motor vehicle team are all busy with their duties and can't bring them over for the time being."
Aunt Qin said worriedly, "What should we do? These clothes can help the common people, and most of them are clean and tidy. Now they can only be piled here? At night, we have to ask them to pick them out one by one and take them back?"
The company commander said, "The snowstorm hit early this year, so even though we're prepared, there are bound to be some shortcomings. How about you wait while I call someone over and see if we can fit some of the supplies into their accompanying vehicle?"
Aunt Qin said, "There's a limit on how many people can be loaded onto the truck. There's no room left."
As she was talking, she suddenly remembered someone and immediately asked the company commander, "Have you asked the motorcade if they have any vacant trucks?"
The company commander said, "They only have old trucks that have been retired. If you want to use them, you can apply for them. We just don't have drivers."
Aunt Qin's eyes swept across the crowd, locking onto Qingmei, who was hunching her neck and hiding her hands. She smiled and said, "How do you know I don't have any?"
Qingmei was called over by Aunt Qin and told she was going to drive a truck. Without hesitation, she agreed. Pickup trucks are easier to drive than heavy trucks, and if she could help, she naturally wouldn't refuse.
When the family members heard that Aunt Qin had arranged such a beautiful girl to drive a big truck, they were all surprised.
Several of them bit their ears, as if they recognized Qingmei, and were talking about the situation with the people next to them.
The glances cast upon Qingmei were mixed with suspicion and approval. Aunt Qin, noticing this, spoke loudly, "Those of you whispering were right. This is Comrade Qingmei, the hero who saved lives. Last month, she drove a heavy truck to rescue 154 people trapped in the flood. Today, she bravely stepped forward to rush to the village in times of crisis. We applaud her!"
The sudden applause made Qingmei a little shy. She waved to everyone and saw that the applause showed no sign of stopping. To express her gratitude, she bowed to the hundreds of family members in front of her.
It would have been fine if she hadn't bowed. After she bowed, she heard some silly girl inside shout, "How can we let Comrade Qingmei bow to us? We should bow to Comrade Qingmei three times!"
Qingmei waved her hands repeatedly: "Don't worry, don't worry! I think I can't come back like this."
The car team brought the keys to the truck, and Aunt Qin stuffed them into Qingmei's hands: "Try it first."
"Okay." Qingmei walked to the side of the truck, stretched out her arms, pulled the door up, and stepped on it.
"Comrade Qingmei is about to get on the bus. Let's bow to her—once!—Twice—"
Qingmei looked back and saw that about a hundred people were actually bowing to her. She almost fell down and screamed, "Don't bow three times!"
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