Chapter 61: The descendants of our soldiers visiting their relatives cannot be delicate...
Jiang Xueyi pinched the soft flesh on her arm without any hesitation: "You are not dreaming, we really won the award."
Liu Lu breathed a sigh of relief: "I will definitely take this certificate home and keep it safe."
Jiang Xueyi smiled and said, "I think Director Xie will ask us to frame the certificate."
It is placed in the most conspicuous position in the Women's Federation. After all, this is a great honor.
Liu Lu: "Yeah, that's right." She spread her hands. "This is also a sweet trouble."
Director Xie did as Jiang Xueyi said and asked the two to hand in their certificates. He also specially built a display cabinet and placed it at the entrance so that people coming to the Women's Federation could see it at a glance.
Winter is here in the blink of an eye, and the weather this year is particularly cold.
Jiang Xueyi wanted to make edamame and shrimp cakes for Xiao Baozi for dinner, as he can now eat softer food.
To make edamame shrimp cakes, you need to shell the edamame bought from the vegetable market. While Jiang Xueyi was peeling, she gave some to Xiao Baozi to peel to exercise his hand-eye coordination.
Little Baozi was having a lot of fun peeling edamame, and he would put the peeled edamame into his mouth from time to time.
This little greedy bag~
Jiang Xueyi took the edamame covered with saliva out of his mouth without getting tired of it. The little boy smiled and was not angry at all.
Just then, He Chengze returned home in the cold wind.
He also brought back news that his parents were coming to visit.
Jiang Xueyi was surprised: "Why so sudden?" She asked again, "When?"
He Chengze sighed and said, "Tomorrow."
This was a surprise attack. His parents were already on the train when they called him.
He glanced at Jiang Xueyi, raised his eyebrows and asked, "Aren't you nervous?"
Jiang Xueyi was amused: "Why are you so nervous? Even an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her parents-in-law."
It was only a matter of time before He Yuan and Wang Aiping came over.
She was actually surprised that the two of them came so late, but when she thought about the nature of their work, she didn't find it strange anymore.
He Chengze sighed and said, "My dad is a very serious person. I don't even like to talk about my mom. I'm worried that they will trip you up and find fault with you."
"You're worrying too much." Jiang Xueyi smiled and said, "Love my wife and my dog. Even for your sake, my parents-in-law won't make things difficult for me."
At worst, there is still the little bun's face.
The little bun was at the cutest age, with a delicate and pretty face. He smiled whenever he saw anyone and was very likable. She just didn't believe that the old couple could frown at the little bun.
Mash the edamame and mix it with the chopped shrimp meat, add egg white, and steam it.
The steamed edamame shrimp cakes are soft but very delicious.
The edamame and shrimp cakes for Xiao Baozi were made separately and steamed. The ones she and He Chengze ate were fried in a pan until both sides were golden brown. The shrimp cakes were more chewy and adults didn't have to worry about choking.
After dinner, the two lay on the bed, snuggling up to each other. The north wind was blowing outside the window, making them feel particularly safe.
Jiang Xueyi put her arms around his neck, blinked, and said, "You haven't told me about your family yet."
In the original novel, He Chengze's family background was briefly mentioned in one sentence: "My grandfather was a founding father of the country, my father was a senior general in the army, and my mother came from a scholarly family. She was well-educated and had an elegant temperament."
It looks like the author piled up some words to elevate He Chengze's status.
In the original novel, He Yuan and Wang Aiping never appeared at all, and were only mentioned occasionally.
The more she got along with He Chengze, the less she could regard him as a character in a novel.
He is a living person with joys and sorrows.
She wanted to know from him what kind of people his parents were.
She raised her head and looked at He Chengze with anticipation in her eyes.
Unexpectedly, He Chengze said a few words with a cold face: "My father is serious and old-fashioned." "My mother is aloof and never touches the water of spring spring."
Jiang Xueyi was stunned for a moment. This comment was really not polite at all.
What can I say? He is indeed my biological son.
He Chengze continued, "My sister and I were practically left alone to grow up." He added, "I joined the army when I was sixteen. I spent half my life in the barracks, rarely even going back for Chinese New Year. In fact... I didn't have much time to spend with them."
That's why he is so attached to and likes the warmth of family so much.
Jiang Xueyi could clearly feel that He Chengze liked his current family life very much.
She felt a pang of sadness in her heart, wondering why the original author gave He Chengze the character of "three generations in the army". Maybe this was just a passing mention in the novel, but in reality, three generations in the army meant the intergenerational inheritance of family responsibilities and missions, and meant being separated from each other from all corners of the world.
She held He Chengze's hand, wanting to give him warmth and strength.
He Chengze smiled and held her fingers tightly.
Jiang Xueyi changed the subject: "Then when are we going to pick them up tomorrow?"
"No need to answer it." He Chengze said.
Jiang Xueyi looked confused.
He Chengze: "My dad is just like that. He said he's not too old to walk, nor is he too confused to find a place to go. He told us to just stay home and wait for him to come."
Jiang Xueyi was embarrassed, uh, feeling a little awkward.
On the surface, she seems to be twisted, but in fact, it is out of love for her son. The train rarely arrives on time these days, and she is worried that it will be early or late, and He Chengze will be delayed in work because of going to pick them up.
When she told He Chengze what she had said, He Chengze said with a cold face: "No, you think too much. He just wants to prove himself. My dad is a very strong-willed person."
Uh, are you really strong-willed or just pretending to be strong-willed?
We'll know tomorrow.
Jiang Xueyi nestled into He Chengze's arms and covered herself with the quilt: "Go to sleep!"
He Yuan and Wang Aiping got off the train, asked around a bit, and found the dormitory in the military compound.
As soon as I arrived at the door, I saw He Chengze leaning against the wall of the gate with his arms folded across his chest.
He Yuan frowned and said, "Didn't I tell you not to pick me up?"
He Chengze took the luggage from the two old men and said, "How could I have taken it? Look carefully, I haven't even left the compound." He added, "Why did you two bring so many things?"
Wang Aiping withdrew her gaze from her son and continued, "Oh, I thought your place is a bit remote and many things are hard to find, so I took your dad to the Friendship Store to pick some for you. They're not expensive things, just some food and clothing."
He Chengze continued to frown, trying to take the luggage back from his son's hand: "Let go, I'll take it."
He Chengze was speechless: "Come on, those people coming and going are all my comrades and colleagues. If they saw me asking my parents to carry two large boxes, they would drown me in gossip."
He Yuan put his hands behind his back and said with a serious face: "There is nothing you can't say to others. If you gossip about others behind their backs, you are not a hero."
He Chengze rolled his eyes and said, "Hey, good man, and your wife, you two have come all this way. Are you hungry? Isn't it time to eat?"
He Yuan's stomach growled. He coughed and covered it up, saying, "Let's go. Lead the way."
"Okay." He Chengze carried a large box in one hand and walked back to the section chief's building with his men.
As we walked, he introduced the building, "That's the Minister's Building. Our Chief of Staff and Director of the Political Department live there. See that big banyan tree? The one with the flower-like crown. There are several ping-pong tables underneath. People in our compound usually organize ping-pong matches there when they have nothing to do."
He Yuan nodded as he listened, then suddenly asked, "What about your wife and son?"
He Chengze paused and said, "They are doing well. Not long ago, our family of three went on a picnic."
When he met his comrades on the road, He Yuan's face became serious, he stood up and saluted: "My son is in the army, please take care of him."
The other person was so frightened that he quickly returned the gift.
He Chengze rolled his eyes almost to the sky.
After finally arriving home, He Chengze just opened the door when the little one ran over in a stroller, yelling, "Daddy!"
Every day when he gets home, the happiest moment is this time. He Chengze picks up the little boy with a smile and kisses him on his fair face: "Hey, dear son."
He Yuan and Wang Aiping, who were standing half a step behind him, were shocked. After all, knowing and seeing the real person were two different things.
A one-year-old baby is the cutest and most fun.
Wang Aiping stared at the little bun again and again, her eyes almost softening into water.
The little boy blinked when he saw the strangers, then pointed at He Yuan and Wang Aiping and asked, "Dad, who is it?"
Jiang Xueyi came out of the kitchen and said with a smile, "It's grandpa and grandma, little bun, call grandpa and grandma."
The little boy was very obedient and called out, "Grandpa, Grandma."
Wang Aiping immediately burst into laughter and replied, "Hey."
She hurriedly took the little bun from He Chengze's arms: "Let grandma hold it."
The little boy was so soft, as if he had no bones. He lay in Wang Aiping's arms, resting his head comfortably on her shoulder. Wang Aiping didn't even dare to move.
He Yuan's performance was much better than hers. He restrained himself and withdrew his gaze from the little bun. He looked Jiang Xueyi up and down and nodded secretly with satisfaction.
She is beautiful, well-mannered, and the little boy she brought up is very polite, even better than he had imagined.
He picked up the box: "A little gift."
Jiang Xueyi took it over. The box was so heavy that she almost stumbled. Fortunately, He Chengze quickly took it over.
Jiang Xueyi poured tea for the two elderly people. Her voice was half a centimeter lower than usual, but the smile in the corner of her eyes was just right, neither shy nor overly enthusiastic: "Dad, Mom, you must be tired from the journey. Have a bowl of brown sugar ginger tea to warm your body."
"Hmm." He Yuan picked up the teacup and took a sip. In order to cater to the appetites of both of them, the tea didn't seem to have much brown sugar in it, so it wasn't very sweet, which just suited his taste.
Jiang Xueyi saw He Yuan finish his brown sugar ginger tea out of the corner of her eye. She poured him another cup of tea, being very careful to only fill it two-thirds full. "Chengze, like you, doesn't like things that are too sweet. I took the liberty of putting less brown sugar in it. If you like more sugar, there's some here, feel free to add more."
"Not bad." He Yuan glanced at the teacup and praised lightly.
It's really good. He knows etiquette and knows the principle of seeing off guests after the tea is full.
Wang Aiping held the little bun tightly in her arms and said, "Chengze, go get the box of cakes with the 'Daohua Village' logo printed on it from the box."
After He Chengze brought the cakes, she raised her chin and said, "This is a famous specialty of Beijing. Xueyi, I heard that you are from a small place. You haven't tasted this before, right? I brought it here specially for you to try."
It was a nice thing to say, but after Wang Aiping said it, it didn't seem right.
In particular, she had a long face, fair skin, a pair of willow-shaped eyebrows, and a pair of slender eyes. As soon as she spoke, a strong sense of arrogance was revealed.
Wang Aiping's face froze, and she clearly realized that she had said the wrong thing.
Jiang Xueyi picked up a piece of cake and tasted it before she smiled and said, "The cakes at 'Daoxiangcun' are famously delicious. I heard it's a time-honored brand. They really taste good, delicate and delicious, sweet but not greasy. If I ever go to Beijing, I'd like to try some, but now, thanks to you, I can taste it in advance."
Seeing that Jiang Xueyi wasn't angry, Wang Aiping's expression relaxed: "Of course not. I bought it early in the morning when I was catching the train. I was afraid it wouldn't be fresh."
She paused, raised her chin and said, "Don't get me wrong, I didn't buy it especially for you. I just didn't want others to say that I, Wang Aiping, gave you something stale as a gift."
Jiang Xueyi felt warm in her heart. This mother-in-law was a person with a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
She smiled and said, "Okay."
Wang Aiping was satisfied. She held the little bun, adjusted his sitting position to make him more comfortable, and pinched a piece of cake to feed him.
Only when she saw the little bun eating did she smile so hard that her teeth couldn't see her eyes.
On this side, He Yuan and He Chengze sat opposite each other. The father and son looked 70% similar. At first glance, they looked like they were carved from the same mold.
But the fact that both of them had serious faces and didn't speak made them look even more alike.
He Yuan looked He Chengze up and down, frowned and said, "I was just about to say this, look at you, you can't even button up your uniform properly, you don't even know how to stand or sit properly, do you even look like a soldier?"
He Chengze was already sitting very straight, his back as if measured with a ruler. He didn't expect that He Yuan could find fault with this. He helplessly buttoned up his uniform: "I only have the top button undone, the others are all buttoned up tightly."
He was tired and sweaty from moving two large boxes just now, so he unbuttoned his clothes to get some fresh air.
He Yuan glared and said, "Home and country, country, 'home' and 'country' are one and the same. If you're not always prepared at home, how can we expect you to defend your country on the battlefield?" He added, "Have your tactical training results declined recently? Even if you become the deputy brigade commander, you are not allowed to slack off!"
The last two words were emphasized, which scared the little kid.
His little face wrinkled and he cried out "wow".
Wang Aiping glared at He Yuan and scolded him, "If you want to talk properly, just talk properly. Look, you scared the child."
He hurried to comfort the little boy, but when the little boy saw He Yuan's serious face, he cried even louder.
As a mother, Jiang Xueyi could tell at a glance that the little boy was just making a lot of noise but not doing anything, and was just howling without any tears.
I guess he saw his grandfather scolding his father and wanted to divert his father's attention.
She just smiled and ignored it.
The little bun's cry scared Wang Aiping so much that she was in a panic. She tried to comfort him for a long time, but he didn't seem to be crying anymore. So she just stuffed him into He Yuan's arms and said, "You're crying because you're scared. Comfort him yourself."
Suddenly, there was a piece of soft flesh in He Yuan's arms, a small, soft and warm piece of flesh.
He was so stiff he couldn't move, and he stammered, "Crying, crying, you're not manly at all. If you become a soldier in the future and cry when you're tired from training, that would be disgraceful."
He Chengze was speechless: "My son is only one and a half years old. If he joins the army, it will take forever." He muttered, "Besides, it's not certain whether the little boy will join the army or not."
He Yuan raised his eyebrows. "It's impossible for a boy not to join the army. If you don't know how to take care of him, I will. Send him to me. When he grows up a little, I will take him directly to the barracks. Other children can shoot birds with a slingshot at the age of eight, but the children in our military compound should be able to shoot a gun at the age of eight! Ask yourself, are you able to shoot a gun at the age of eight?"
He Chengze rolled his eyes when he heard this.
He Yuan wasn't finished yet. He glared and puffed his beard, "Look at the toys you prepared for him. Those rag dolls? Are they things for boys? In my opinion, only that wooden pistol looks decent. Take away all his rag dolls and replace them with wooden missiles and wooden grenades. Those are the things we boys should play with." He added, "The descendants of us soldiers can't be spoiled and weak!"
Bounce this, bounce that, it's so soft, wow, it rhymes.
The little boy stared at his grandfather for a while. He Yuan's temples were slightly gray, and his face was tense, like a fully drawn bow, and he looked extremely serious.
He was so scared that he cried out "Wow" and started crying again.
This time I really cried.
The kind with loud thunder and heavy rain.
Wang Aiping was furious and pointed at He Yuan and said, "You! You!"
He Yuan was also frightened. Little Baozi was obviously serious this time. He said in a panic, "Hey, don't cry." He added, "You call me Little Baozi, right? Little Baozi, don't cry, don't cry!"
Finally, with his face flushed, he managed to utter, "If you cry again, I'll report you!"
The little boy stared at his face for a while, then suddenly stopped crying and started laughing.
A pair of big eyes curved into two crescents, so cute.
He Yuan finally breathed a sigh of relief: "That's right."
He Chengze suppressed his laughter and said, "Dad, look at your pants."
He Yuan looked down and saw a puddle of water, but he didn't notice it because he was wearing thick clothes in winter.
His eyes were as big as copper bells: "He, he peed?"
He Chengze could hardly hold it back anymore and laughed out loud: "Yes, fresh, hot boy's urine, Dad, congratulations, I heard that this can bring good luck."
He Yuan rolled his eyes and said, "This good luck is for you, do you want it?"
Wang Aiping quickly took the little bun over and said, "You two are still busy talking nonsense. Hurry up and change the little bun's diaper. It's winter, what if he catches a cold?" She then asked He Chengze, "Where are the diapers?"
He Chengze quickly waved his hand and said, "You sit down, I'll do it."
He fetched some hot water, added some cold water, and used the warm water to wipe the little bun's butt clean. He then changed him into a new diaper and pants, and the little bun became a clean and lovely baby again.
He Chengze was so skillful that Wang Aiping nodded secretly.
Not bad, like a father.
After He Chengze finished changing the diaper, he saw He Yuan still sitting there. "Dad, why are you still standing there? Hurry up and grab some clean clothes and go to the bathroom to rinse off." He winked mischievously and waved the diaper in his hand. "Could it be that you want me to change your diaper too?"
He Yuan just used a sweeping kick.
He Chengze dodged quickly: "Hey, I can't hit you."
He Yuan: "You wait."
I'm going to deal with my son, so why would I worry about not having the chance?
After saying that, he took his change of clothes and went to the bathroom to take a shower.
As soon as he left, He Chengze said, "Just wait, who's afraid of who?"
Wang Aiping was speechless: "Can't you two say less? If I live a few years less, it's because of you two who made me angry."
He Chengze: "No, you let Dad stop provoking me, I don't bother to pay attention to him."
He Chengze continued to clean up the mess left by the little bun. Jiang Xueyi stood up and said, "I'll go to the kitchen to cook first. Dad will have something to eat after he takes a shower."
She had just cut the chicken wings when she caught a glimpse of someone standing outside the kitchen. Only half of his face was visible, so it was not clear.
She almost thought she was seeing things and continued to fry the chicken wings in the pan.
While frying, she turned around casually and saw her mother-in-law Wang Aiping standing outside the door.
Jiang Xueyi: ...
Being discovered, Wang Aiping coughed and said, "I came to see how your cooking is going."
Jiang Xueyi nodded: "It's very well made, you should be ready to eat it."
It was a rare occasion for He Yuan and Wang Aiping to come, so she cooked all her specialties.
Wang Aiping: "Oh."
Jiang Xueyi continued cooking. She boiled the eggs in cold water, peeled them, and fried them until golden brown. She added minced garlic, chili peppers, light soy sauce and other seasonings, stir-fried them evenly, and a delicious golden egg was ready.
While making the golden money eggs, I didn’t forget to steam a bowl of egg custard for the little bun. The golden money eggs were a bit spicy, so he couldn’t eat them. The fragrant, soft, tender and delicious egg custard was most to his liking.
Jiang Xueyi was just about to take the golden money eggs out of the kitchen when she saw Wang Aiping standing behind her. She seemed to have been there for a while.
She was stunned: "Mom, is there something wrong?"
Wang Aiping withdrew her gaze from the delicious golden eggs and raised her chin. "You really don't need my help? I see you're quite overwhelmed." She said with a little pride, "I cook all the meals in our house. Old He, Chengze, Chengya and the others all praised their food."
He Chengze passed by and exposed her: "Mom, when did you learn to cook? How come I didn't know? Isn't Aunt Wang the one who cooks all the meals in our family?"
Wang Aiping raised her eyebrows and pushed him out: "Go away, you're everywhere." She added, "You only see the surface. Aunt Wang usually cooks good meals, but that's because I'm such a good cook. I'm afraid you'll pester me to cook every day, and I can't handle it."
He Chengze: ...
Just blow it.
Jiang Xueyi could tell that her mother-in-law wanted to show off in front of her.
She blinked and brought a basket of vegetables: "How about you make me a dish of lettuce with oyster sauce?"
Wang Aiping's eyes lit up, and she took the lettuce, looking quite impatient: "I told you, you need my help." She added, "If you don't understand anything, feel free to ask me."
Jiang Xueyi smiled and said, "Okay." She added, "If there's anything I don't understand, I'll definitely ask you."
Hearing the word 'ask for advice', Wang Aiping nodded with satisfaction: "Okay, then I'll get busy."
She took two steps and immediately turned back, her eyes darting: "Remember, if you don't understand something, be sure to ask me."
Jiang Xueyi continued to smile: "Okay, definitely."
She continued to work on her task, and out of the corner of her eye she noticed Wang Aiping looking at her.
She smiled knowingly and walked over to Wang Aiping: "Mom, how do you make these garlic ribs taste better?"
Although Wang Aiping had never cooked much, she had seen pigs run even if she hadn't eaten pork: "You have to marinate the ribs with seasoning first, then fry them in a pan, so that they are flavorful."
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