Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Another happy event!
The canteen made Shanshi’s belt noodles today.
As the name suggests, the three-finger-wide belt gets its name from the same width as the waistband.
Perhaps sensing the gloomy state of the family quarters, the quartermaster waved his hand and cooked a noodle stew with minced meat and tomatoes, giving everyone a generous spoonful. He also blanched the spinach, squeezed out its juice, and placed fist-sized balls on the plates, adorned with dried shrimp, minced ginger, soy sauce, and vinegar. He let everyone pour their own sauce over the noodles and mix them together for a delicious meal.
Qingmei had eaten noodles in the morning and didn't feel like eating them at lunch. However, there was only a stiff, icy chicken left in the vegetable basket on the balcony.
"It would be even better if there were a couple of drops of sesame oil." Qingmei muttered to Gu Qingzhou, but unexpectedly a voice shouted from behind, "Sesame oil? Yes!"
Tong Zhenzhen came over to greet Qingmei, but after hearing this, she turned and ran to the kitchen. After a while, she slowly came back with a small spoon filled with yellow sesame oil: "Sprinkle it on the cold dishes?"
Qingmei noticed someone was looking at them and whispered, "Will you get criticized for this?"
Tong Zhenzhen also whispered, "We all know it. You were the one who recognized the enemy spies who infiltrated the family compound this time. We kept our mouths shut and didn't say anything, but we should thank you. Otherwise, our family's reputation would have been ruined by that troublemaker."
The person she was referring to was none other than Mrs. Liang who had disappeared.
Gu Qingzhou handed Qingmei's bowl of noodles to Tong Zhenzhen and said, "Add half of it here. She'll feel sick if you add more."
Tong Zhenzhen gave Gu Qingzhou a knowing look, added the remaining ingredients to the bowl of noodles, and poured the remaining precious sesame oil into the cold dish: "Tell me if you're missing anything."
After saying hello, Tong Zhenzhen went to the kitchen. People on the way saw her add a spoonful of sesame oil to the green plums. No one thought it was wrong. Instead, they thought that giving a spoonful of sesame oil to an enemy spy was too cheap.
Gu Qingzhou helped Qingmei mix the noodles, pushed them in front of her and said with a smile, "Great hero, eat it."
Over the next few days, Qingmei received a lot of "care" in the cafeteria. Not only Tong Zhenzhen, but everyone else in the cafeteria always pressed their bowls firmly against hers. After repeated attempts to persuade her, to no avail, Qingmei would later invite Xiaojuan along, and the two would share their meals.
The cafeteria made twice-cooked pork today. Qingmei had heard Xiaojuan say she liked it before, so she specially picked up two extra pieces for her.
Xiaojuan looked at the pile of food and said with a smile, "If we continue like this, we will both become fat." She didn't dare to say it, because she saw that Qingmei's face had become a little chubby these days, which made her look very cute.
Qingmei actually thinks she's gained weight, and her underwear feels a bit tight lately. But if you don't look closely, you can't really tell, so I guess it should go away after a couple of days of dieting.
Qingmei watched Xiaojuan finish her twice-cooked pork, then she picked up two more pieces for her and said to her, "I'm going back to my parents' house with my boyfriend this afternoon. You can take the twice-cooked pork from the box next to you and eat it."
Xiaojuan mentioned twice-cooked pork, and she recalled her unhappy birthday. But the twice-cooked pork was innocent, and Wu Shizhong hadn't suggested any connections, so she said, "Okay, next time I'll buy the meal ticket and we can go out together."
Qingmei said, "Okay."
After returning home, Qingmei took a nap during dinner and was woken up by the sound of the door being unlocked.
Gu Qingzhou stood at the door with a cold air, stamped his feet and said, "No wonder I didn't see you looking on the balcony, you were taking a nap. Let's go, Baozi is waiting downstairs while the car is still running."
Qingmei got up lazily, stretched, raised her head and waited.
Gu Qingzhou walked over, pecked her gently on the lips, rubbed her hair and said, "So sweet."
Qingmei braided her scattered hair and said to Gu Qingzhou, "Or will you come back on Sunday?"
Gu Qingzhou said: "Yes. If it snows, we have to go early."
Qingmei said, "Luckily, we're close. I've seen many family members come from far away, taking trains, buses, and finally boats to cross the sea. It's more convenient for us to be close."
Gu Qingzhou bent down to pick up the cotton shoes, and raised his little finger to help the little ancestor put on the shoes.
Qingmei looked at him with joy, and everyone thought that she came to take care of Gu Qingzhou, but in fact, she was being taken care of more.
Qingmei put on her shoes and packed herself, while Gu Qingzhou packed his things for the next two days back to Donghe Village.
After packing up, Qingmei dressed in a military coat and walked out side by side with Gu Qingzhou.
Unfortunately, I met Xiaojuan coming up from downstairs.
Seeing her carrying some daily necessities, Qingmei asked in confusion, "Why is there so much missing at home?"
Xiaojuan looked pale, a stark contrast to the way she looked after eating the twice-cooked pork at lunch. She muttered, "My mother-in-law called and said she wants to come over early to celebrate the New Year."
Qingmei probably guessed that she had a bad relationship with her mother-in-law, so she asked, "Why are you here so early? It's just the beginning of the twelfth lunar month."
Xiaojuan was a little tired from carrying the things, so she leaned on the handrail to rest and said, "I was afraid that the road would be blocked by heavy snow, so I brought the child here in advance."
child?
Before Qingmei could react, Xiaojuan's face changed. She glanced at Gu Qingzhou, who said tactfully, "Shall I go down and wait?"
Xiaojuan said hurriedly: "Let's wait until Xiaomei comes back, there's no rush for this matter."
Qingmei also felt that rushing would not solve any problems, so she took the things from Xiaojuan's hand and sent her to the door of her house before going downstairs.
The way back was not too difficult. Qingmei did not gossip with Gu Qingzhou about the "child" that Xiaojuan mentioned, as that would be too disrespectful to Xiaojuan.
She was swaying in the car, discussing with Gu Qingzhou what to do during the New Year this year.
Gu Qingzhou wanted Qingmei to stay until the Chinese New Year, and then spend the New Year together in Donghe Village. He would go to other places to lead a team to recruit soldiers, while Qingmei would drive a tractor diligently in the village.
Qingmei also wanted to spend more time with Gu Qingzhou, so the two of them agreed on this in the car.
After returning home, I explained the general idea to my grandmother and Zhao Wuhe. The two elders had no objection, so the matter was settled.
After staying for two nights, snow began to fall on Sunday morning. Gu Qingzhou and Qingmei returned to the army.
This time, Qingmei brought some grains from home: sweet potato flour, corn grits, dried sweet potatoes, peanuts, and the like. Zhao Xiaoxing, having a good conscience, saved the eggs laid by the young hen for Qingmei, a full two hundred, and filled two buckets to carry back to the army.
There were also winter bamboo shoots dug by Xiaoyan, dried wild vegetables, as well as the cured chicken that the family had dried for the New Year, and canned oranges that had been made earlier, all of which were taken away by Qingmei.
Before leaving, Qingmei wanted to talk to her grandmother, but she had already gone to play cards with her old sisters.
Carrying a bunch of food, Qingmei couldn't help but feel happy. Now she didn't have to worry about being hungry even if she stayed in bed in the morning.
On the way back, the snow was getting heavier. Qingmei felt quiet after staying there for two days and was curious why she hadn't seen Xiaojuan.
On Thursday morning, she ran into Wang Jiayuan in the corridor and told Qingmei, "She asked me to tell you that her mother-in-law broke her leg at the market, and she needs her to go back and take care of her. I guess we won't be able to see each other this year."
"How could she have broken her leg during the Lunar New Year? She's going to have a very hard time this year." Qingmei asked Wang Jiayuan, "By the way, do you have her contact information?"
Wang Jiayuan said, "How could I have it? I asked for it once, but she didn't give it to me."
Qingmei had no choice but to give up.
By mid-December, new people arrived in the family quarters.
For Qingmei, the eldest brother Gu Chongshan was also an acquaintance. He finally received a transfer order and moved to the 014 family area with his eldest sister-in-law Ruan Siqiao.
My eldest brother is a battalion-level cadre and was assigned a two-bedroom, one-living-room red brick house with a separate kitchen and toilet. The conditions are much better than those in a collective dormitory.
Moreover, we live upstairs from Aunt Qin's house, on the second floor, so it is convenient for us to take care of each other.
Qingmei brought ten eggs and a little hen over to help clean up and then cook a warm pot of rice.
Ruan Siqiao looked a little tired, but there was still a happy smile on his face.
Arriving at 014, not only was it close to my husband's family, but Gu Qingzhou was also the regimental commander, so ordinary people couldn't bully them. Furthermore, 014 was a renowned independent division, clean and tidy, with few scandals. Even if enemy agents appeared, they wouldn't be able to hide in the family quarters for more than a few days before being discovered. It was quite safe.
For her, Gu Zhongshan's safety was her top priority. Arriving at 014 was a relief.
Before Qingmei got married, she didn't understand why the two of them had to be tied together. Now, seeing the harmonious scene of the two of them, husband and wife following each other's lead, she is somewhat envious.
It is better for a couple to live together after marriage.
Gu Qingzhou saw her expression, smiled and said nothing.
After eating the warm pot meal, Qingmei went to the hospital with Gu Qingzhou.
Gu Qingzhou's hand was unbandaged and he could slowly resume movement. The doctor advised Qingmei, "You still have to take good care of your husband. The bones are currently growing well. If they grow crooked, they will have to be broken and regrown."
Qingmei nervously remembered the doctor's words and held Gu Qingzhou's arm when she went out.
Gu Qingzhou slapped her pretentious little hand away and took her to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy fish fillets.
It was January 20th, the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month.
Gu Qingzhou drove Qingmei and his elder brother and his wife's families back to Donghe Village.
The Gu family compound was rarely bustling with activity, and red lanterns were hung at the gate.
Qingmei was busy cutting paper-cuts on the kang, her little hands working very hard. In the kitchen, Zhao Wuhe was cooking the meal herself, with six dishes and one soup, three meat dishes and three vegetable dishes, laid out on the table.
Zhao Xiaoxing and Xiaoyan dragged Grandpa Guo and the old donkey over here, pressed their hands on Grandpa Guo's shoulders and sat down. The old donkey had a bucket of corn kernels to eat.
"Your family is celebrating the New Year, why are you calling me?" Grandpa Guo hadn't celebrated the New Year in almost 20 years. He felt awkward when he arrived at the Gu family compound and grumbled, "I'd better go back and let my old friend represent me."
Qingmei came to the main hall and called him, "If you are willing to teach us two sisters, you will be our teacher. It is customary to invite the teacher to sit down."
Uncle Guo said, "Mr. is bullshit. I teach casually, so don't call me that."
"It's okay if I don't call you that." Qingmei chuckled and said, "Old Donkey Guo, eating a meal won't kill you. Don't let the sisters look down on you."
Zhao Xiaoxing also shouted, "Old Donkey Guo."
Xiaoyan opened her mouth and made some lip movements, but she didn't dare to shout out loud.
Uncle Guo laughed angrily: "I'm going to teach you a lesson. Fine, eat if you want. I'm going to finish everything on the table and not leave a single bite for you."
What Grandpa Guo said is that it's a pity that he is old and his teeth are not as good as those of young people. During the New Year's Eve dinner, he chewed the spare ribs for a long time and couldn't put them down.
Zhao Xiaoxing wanted to laugh but didn't dare to. She nudged Xiaoyan with her elbow, and the two of them laughed secretly.
Outside, firecrackers exploded. This year's market was better than last year's, and even the children in the village were playing with sky rockets. They shot up into the sky with a squeak and suddenly exploded, adding a lot of excitement to the village.
Zhao Wuhe looked at the lively family in the evening, holding her glass of wine and drinking until tears came to her eyes.
Her two sons, Gu Chongshan and Gu Qingzhou, supported her on both sides and went back to the room to rest. When they came back, they would stand on stools and play finger-guessing games with their wives.
Uncle Guo cheered on the side, occasionally throwing a peanut into his mouth and slowly eating it with his teeth.
Zhao Xiaoxing also drank a lot of wine, and she pulled Xiaoyan to make big promises, saying that in the future she only wanted sisters and not men, and only wanted money and not love.
Xiaoyan sipped the wine in small sips, with two red spots on her face. She occasionally hummed, listening in one ear and letting out the other.
She didn't actually know what her lofty goals were. But after learning that the college entrance exam was finally open, she understood where the path Qingmei had paved for them would lead. She resolved to study tirelessly, even if it wasn't for herself but for her sister Xiaomei, she was determined to achieve success.
Just as Zhao Wuhe had hoped, the banquet was extremely lively. The Gu family mansion, which had been lifeless in the previous life, was now full of life.
*** ***
During the spring plowing season of 1978, on the collective land of Donghe Village, the educated youth waved flags and shouted:
"Labor is the most glorious, labor is the greatest! I will encourage the working people to work harder and work harder!"
... ...
Qingmei rolled down the tractor window, stuck her head out, and shouted, "Wu Ban, tell Wang Liya to go somewhere else and shout. It's too noisy!"
Wu Ban shouted, "No, she insists on cheering you on, she won't go anywhere else."
As she finished her slogan, Wang Liya banged the gong a few times—dong, dong, dong! Then she turned around and said to the newly arrived educated youth standing behind her, "Shout at the top of your lungs! What's wrong with you not having eaten?"
Wu Ban pointed at Qingmei and Wang Liya said, "Yes, we must let Comrade Qingmei know our sincerity! We must shout slogans until she finishes her work!"
Wu Ban: “…” You’ll never be able to make friends with Comrade Qingmei in this life.
Wang Liya couldn't tell she was complaining in her heart, and struck the gong a few more times, dong dong dong: "Labor is the most glorious, labor is the greatest——"
Qingmei plowed the fields back and forth, rubbing the steering wheel and cursing Wang Liya. Just as the tractor passed by Wang Liya, the gong gave her a headache.
Zhao Xiaoxing, who had come over from a distance to relieve her shift, ran over with a soda, got on the tractor, and handed the soda to Qingmei. Seeing Qingmei's pale face, she asked, "What's wrong with you? Why is there no color on your face?"
Qingmei waved her hands and said with difficulty: "I feel a little dizzy and want to vomit."
Zhao Xiaoxing slapped her thigh and said, "You must be carsick because you haven't driven a tractor in a while. Please move aside and let me drive."
Qingmei also had the same idea, she really couldn't sit still anymore.
While turning, Wang Liya was beating the gong on the edge of the field to cheer Qingmei on.
Qingmei weakly stepped on the brakes. Zhao Xiaoxing wanted to change seats with her, but saw Qingmei jump out of the car, kneel on the ground and start vomiting.
"You're really carsick!" Zhao Xiaoxing put the soda down in front of the windshield, jumped out of the car and ran to Qingmei. Seeing her hands resting on the ground, she said distressedly, "The skin on your hands must be rubbed raw."
Qingmei didn't pay attention to what was being said in her ear. Later, it seemed that Wang Liya ran over and wanted to ring the gong, but Zhao Wuhe who came later snatched it away and threw it to the ground.
Qingmei looked up dizzily to give her mother-in-law a big thumbs up, but as soon as she looked up, the world was spinning around her and she staggered and fell into Zhao Xiaoxing's arms.
"My dear daughter, wake up!"
Zhao Wuhe was almost going crazy. She was almost fifty years old, but she grabbed the green plums, put them on her back and ran faster than anyone else.
"Go to the hospital! Someone call my son!"
Someone called out, "Doctor Chen is at the brigade clinic!"
Zhao Wuhe ignored her. Her daughter was precious, so how could she let a veterinarian who had changed his profession take care of her?
Qingmei was nauseous from the shaking, and she sat in the back of the farm vehicle. Zhao Xiaoxing put a wet handkerchief on her forehead. She felt better and fell asleep without realizing it.
...
The distinct smell of disinfectant from the hospital ward filled Qingmei's nose, stimulating her to gradually wake up. She stared dazedly at the IV drip on the back of her hand. Seeing her awake, a large hand rested on her forehead. "How do you feel?"
Qingmei said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Why are you here?"
Gu Qingzhou stood by the bed, with the sound of magpies chirping on the branches outside the window behind him.
There was both worry and joy in his eyes.
Qingmei grabbed his wrist and shook her head, saying, "I'm still a little dizzy, but much better now. Not as bad as before."
Gu Qingzhou said: "You have slept for six hours."
Qingmei swallowed, and Gu Qingzhou handed her the warm water and helped her stand up to drink.
Qingmei moistened her lips and said to Gu Qingzhou, "Am I seriously ill? Why did I faint all of a sudden? I never got carsick before..."
Gu Qingzhou smiled and said, "It's a bit troublesome."
Qingmei said, "Tell me quickly."
"We have a baby. Yours and mine." Gu Qingzhou put his hand on her belly and said, "It's been three months. The doctor said the due date is early September. The baby is very healthy."
Qingmei froze on the bed. After a moment, she rubbed her ears and said, "Say it again?"
"Our love has borne fruit." Gu Qingzhou said with a wry smile, "The doctor gave me a good lecture, saying that I, as your husband, didn't even know you were three months pregnant, and even let you drive a tractor and participate in spring plowing. Thanks to my recent good health, the fetus is very stable. If it were a weaker woman, there is an 80% chance that she would not be able to keep the baby."
Qingmei opened her mouth and mumbled for a long time, then she touched her belly and suddenly said, "Did the doctor lift my clothes in front of others?"
Gu Qingzhou laughed and said, "I pushed you to the B-ultrasound room. There were only doctors, nurses and me."
Qingmei then lowered her head and stared at her small belly in disbelief: "No wonder my appetite has been so good recently and my clothes are a little tight. I thought it was because I ate too much in the cafeteria."
Gu Qingzhou was the one who was upset. He had agreed to help his wife keep track of the date, but he had missed it because of the snowstorm and the dwarf incident. His wife probably forgot about it herself.
He really deserves a lecture from the doctor.
Gu Qingzhou was feeling very complicated at this moment, happy but also guilty, always feeling that he had wronged his young wife.
"What should I do? I want to go to school with them to register for the college entrance exam in two days' holiday." Qingmei said dejectedly, "I've been preparing for the college entrance exam for a long time."
Gu Qingzhou said, "I heard the exam is in July. By then, you'll be seven months pregnant. Are you sure you can stick to it?"
Qingmei thought for a moment and said, "Many sisters-in-law work until they give birth... I can't match their hard work, but if I just study and take exams, I should be fine."
As she spoke, she counted on her fingers and learned that she should give birth in September. The branch of Beiyan University that she wanted to apply for would be completed in December. If she did not participate in the military training, she would have exactly three months to rest and recuperate.
She thought a little shyly that even if she was in class at that time and the weather was getting cold, she could still prepare food for the child in advance.
Gu Qingzhou held Qingmei's hand tightly. Regarding the matter of the child, he hoped not to burden his young wife and let her consider it herself.
"I calculated it, and it shouldn't be a big problem." Qingmei touched her belly, then looked up and met Gu Qingzhou's guilty eyes. She held his face and said, "Why do you look like that?"
Gu Qingzhou whispered, "I feel like I didn't take good care of you. I didn't even know you were pregnant. The first three months are the most dangerous time. I'm so incompetent."
Qingmei hugged him, patted his back as Gu Qingzhou often did to coax her, and said, "You've done very well. Although I didn't plan to have a child so early, now that our child is here, I hope we can bring happiness and joy to the child."
Gu Qingzhou gently hugged Qingmei's waist and whispered, "Okay, I understand."
Qingmei hugged him for a while, and when she felt that Gu Qingzhou was in a better mood, she pulled away from him, placed his big hand on her belly, and asked, "Do you think it's a daughter or a son?"
Gu Qingzhou had thought about this question a long time ago, and he said without hesitation: "If we only have one child, I hope it's a daughter. If we have a second child, I hope it will be a brother instead of a sister."
"Young man, you've thought it through very carefully." Qingmei held Gu Qingzhou's face and said, "Do you think your sister will face more responsibilities?"
Gu Qingzhou teased deliberately, "I heard that the elder sister beat her younger brother very cruelly."
Qingmei was stunned for a moment, then she held her stomach and laughed out loud: "That's true."
Gu Qingzhou said lightly: "Two daughters are good, they can solve the problem fundamentally."
Qingmei understood that Gu Qingzhou was actually an invisible daughter slave. She asked Gu Qingzhou, "What do you do if your daughter is bullied?"
Gu Qingzhou thought it was not a problem at all: "Join the army. I will teach you Sanda, grappling and fighting techniques, whatever you like."
Qingmei: "..."
She wants a sweet and soft little daughter, not a muscular Barbie doll.
Qingmei instantly fell into worry: "What if my daughter really likes these?"
Gu Qingzhou seemed a little tactless this time, and said happily: "Didn't you say I would teach you?" After that, he didn't hear his wife say anything, and realized that he had answered the wrong question. He hurriedly said: "It's okay if she doesn't learn. She can live the way she wants. If someone bullies her, don't I still have her."
This is said very casually.
Qingmei thought about it and decided that if the child really wanted to be a Barbie doll, she would also be willing to make nutritious meals for the child.
Woo woo.
"What's wrong? Why are you still crying?" Zhao Wuhe came in with a lunch box, pushed Gu Qingzhou aside, sat down on the bed and said, "Good boy, did Gu Laoer bully you?"
Qingmei said, "It's okay."
Gu Qingzhou said: "She is happy."
Qingmei gritted her teeth and said, "Yes, I am happy."
Zhao Wuhe grinned widely and said, "Just be happy. Mom has already criticized you when you should. I've asked the doctor for a maternity handbook on how to take care of yourself in the future. If you want me to take care of you, I'll do it. If you don't want me to take care of you, I'll ask someone to find you an experienced aunt. What do you say?"
Oh? Are you looking for a babysitter for her?
Qingmei looked at Zhao Xiaoxing and Xiaoyan who were standing at the door carrying fruits and milk powder, and they also looked worried.
Qingmei turned to Zhao Wuhe and said, "You don't need anyone to take care of me. I can handle it myself. If I need help when I'm further along in my pregnancy, I still have Xing'er and Xiaoyan."
Zhao Wuhe didn't trust her and complained, "You work like a mud monkey every day in the village. I know you signed up to build a dam. Can you really take care of yourself?"
"No, we won't build the dam. We can support ourselves, that's really possible." Qingmei said "yes" almost a hundred times.
When she looked up, not only Zhao Wuhe, but also Gu Qingzhou, Zhao Xiaoxing and Xiaoyan were looking at her in disbelief.
Finally, the whole family decided to let her recuperate in the blue brick courtyard.
No matter how reluctant Gu Qingzhou was, he knew this was the best option. It was better than letting her live alone in a military dormitory, especially since someone would be watching over her. She was lively and energetic, especially popular and warm-hearted. If anyone needed help, she would run over to help.
After the injection, Zhao Xiaoxing and Xiaoyan supported her on both sides like two bodyguards and helped her get into the car to go home.
Along the way, everyone except Qingmei was learning how to take care of the mother and the fetus during pregnancy. It was a very grand event.
"You can't supplement nutrition in the late stages of pregnancy, so the first and second trimesters are very important." Zhao Wuhe said: "Your current task is to take good care of your body and tummy, and your secondary task is studying. But don't let studying consume too much energy, so keep your health as the main priority."
Qingmei mumbled, "Oh, I see."
Zhao Xiaoxing pointed at Qingmei and said, "You're still harboring evil intentions."
Xiaoyan said, "Keep an eye on her."
The two hit it off immediately.
Qingmei wanted to cry but had no tears. It had only been three months, and there was still half a year to go. She was already targeted.
Zhao Xiaoxing said to Xiaoyan, "When you get back, keep an eye on her. She said a few days ago that she wanted to fertilize the fruit trees. Tell her to stay in the house and be quiet. If she has to move, do it in moderation."
Xiaoyan said, "Okay, then what do you do?"
Zhao Xiaoxing said, "I'll kill two chickens first, and then you can set up the earthenware pot over a slow fire. Don't let her eat anything she wants."
Xiaoyan said: "Okay!"
Qingmei: "..."
Entering Donghe Village, Qingmei encountered a pregnant woman who was carrying lunch to her husband after spring plowing. She was walking briskly with her lunch box.
Just as he raised his head to fight for the right to move independently, Gu Qingzhou, who was looking at the rearview mirror, glanced at him with a forced smile: "Huh?"
Qingmei's face fell: "...It's okay." It was just the tractor that flew away.
When she got home, Qingmei lay on the kang and read a book dejectedly.
Outside the house, Zhao Xiaoxing and Zhao Wuhe were busy catching chickens and shearing them.
Zhao Wuhe thought that she still had some fish maw sent from Fushan at home, and that it would be very nourishing if stewed with the young hen. So she said to Zhao Xiaoxing, "There's a bag of fish maw on the metal box in my kitchen. Can you get it for Auntie?"
Zhao Xiaoxing stopped plucking and said, "Peppercorns?"
Zhao Wuhe said, "Yes, it's on top of the metal box at the door."
Zhao Xiaoxing clearly remembered that there were Sichuan peppercorns in the blue brick courtyard. She stood up, holding the hen, and said, "What's the matter? Your food is better, and you think my Sichuan peppercorns aren't spicy enough?"
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