Without Zhao Youcai saying anything, the third brother, Zhao Jianhua, quickly got up and rushed to the door.
The person who came was completely unfamiliar; Zhao Jianhua had never seen him before.
However, he was also perceptive and could tell that the people outside had very different temperaments.
Zhao Jianhua asked with a smile, "Who are you? What brings you to my house?"
The other party gave Zhao Jianhua a very serious military salute, his voice loud and clear.
"We are from the military region, here to see Comrade Zhao Youcai. Is he home?"
military region?
Zhao Jianhua's mind went blank; he was completely stunned.
He turned around and looked incredulously at his father, who was wiping his mouth after eating, and his heart was completely shaken.
What on earth has his father been doing out there? Why are even people from the military coming to his door?
Zhao Youcai also heard the voices outside the door, smiled, got up, walked to the door, and opened the other door panel.
"Soldiers, please forgive me, my child is not used to the world. Please come in and sit down."
Several soldiers quickly waved their hands, saying it was no big deal, and followed Zhao Youcai inside with smiles.
When the soldiers first smelled the aroma outside Zhao Youcai's gate, they remained relatively calm. But once they entered the courtyard, the smell became even stronger.
The youngest soldier couldn't help but swallow, and his stomach growled twice.
"Eldest daughter-in-law, go to the kitchen and make another pot of noodles. The soldiers have had a long and tiring journey, and they probably haven't eaten yet."
The soldier in the lead quickly waved his hand in refusal.
They came here on business, not just to freeload a meal.
Besides, it smelled like meat. People's lives are already hard enough, and they finally get to eat meat. How could so many of them take advantage of that?
But Zhao Youcai's eldest daughter-in-law was too quick; the noodles were already in the pot. The Zhao family had already eaten, and if they didn't eat, the noodles would clump together and probably wouldn't be edible by evening.
In the end, the soldiers could only sigh, and the leader reached into his pocket, took out money and food coupons, and handed them to Zhao Youcai.
Zhao Youcai quickly waved his hand to refuse, saying it was just a simple meal at his home, why be so polite.
Zhao Youcai didn't really take this matter seriously, after all, the flour used to make noodles came from the processing workshop in his "golden finger" (a game feature), and the cost was only a few cents.
Moreover, I've been staying home obediently lately. It's just that I haven't wanted to move around much these past few days, so I've had my sons carry baskets to sell gift boxes of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) by the national highway.
I haven't done anything wrong, and my children haven't been arrested. The soldiers suddenly showing up at my door definitely aren't there to deal with me.
Looking at how polite these people were, and the young soldier who couldn't hide his feelings looking at him with eyes full of admiration, Zhao Youcai knew what was going on.
Sure enough, the soldier leading the group said something that was pretty much exactly what Zhao Youcai had predicted.
"With your help, Comrade Zhao, our military region successfully captured three enemy agents and seized several large boxes of weapons, firearms, and ammunition. After internal interrogation and verification, it was confirmed that state secrets had not been leaked, which was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune."
Zhao Youcai listened attentively to these words, nodding occasionally and expressing his opinion.
"Soldiers, you have worked hard to protect our country. Protecting the nation and reporting enemy agents is the responsibility and obligation of every citizen of China."
The two men praised each other for a long time before the leading soldier finally got back to the main topic.
"We are here today because the leaders of the military region have held a meeting and decided to award Comrade Zhao Youcai the title of Advanced Individual."
These days, outstanding individuals are truly remarkable.
Not many people receive the Outstanding Individual Award; not even the director of a textile factory has received it.
Moreover, this is a personal commendation issued by the military region. Who knows, it might make Zhao Youcai even more highly regarded?
Having learned that a very important person had come to Zhao Jiagou, the villagers quietly arrived outside Zhao Youcai's courtyard.
As for why no one dared to open the door and come in, it was because the military's big trucks were parked outside, and no one dared to come in.
Just then, the noodles in the kitchen were ready, and Zhao Youcai's daughters-in-law came out carrying several bowls of noodles, placing them in front of the soldiers with smiles.
The fourth son's wife, being very perceptive, brought out a plate of smashed cucumber and a plate of stir-fried wild vegetables.
"Soldiers, please try these noodles and give this old man some suggestions for improvement."
The noodles served this time already resembled instant noodles in some ways.
The vegetables in the noodles were clearly dehydrated, and the soldiers' eyes lit up when they saw them.
During military campaigns, it was difficult to even steal a moment to eat a flatbread. What we craved most back then wasn't meat, but vegetables.
The vegetables in this noodle dish look like they were preserved in a special way. But when I picked one up and put it in my mouth, it actually tasted quite fresh.
Most importantly, the noodles taste so good that I wanted to swallow my tongue along with them.
"These noodles are delicious! Comrade Zhao's family has excellent cooking skills."
Zhao Youcai smiled and waved his hand, "There's no skill involved. These noodles are very easy to make. As long as you know how to boil water, you can cook them like this."
The people eating noodles were all staring at Zhao Youcai with shining eyes.
Those who survive on the battlefield are not only incredibly skilled in combat, but also intelligent.
They understood what Zhao Youcai meant, so they were even more excited.
Zhao Youcai stopped teasing them. They had already tasted the flavor, and his instant noodles had found a market.
Where else would there be a greater need for such convenient dry rations?
Zhao Youcai asked his eldest daughter-in-law to go to the kitchen and get some flatbread and some instant noodle seasoning in a sealed jar.
"This flatbread can be eaten raw, or you can soak it in hot water for five minutes to soften it, or you can boil it."
As Zhao Youcai explained how to use the instant noodle seasoning, the soldiers' eyes welled up with tears.
This is definitely something that could be used as military rations!
The soldier in the lead even picked up a flatbread and ate it dry to taste it.
As it turned out, after trying it, his eyes became even brighter.
It's fragrant and crispy, with a mouthful of wheat flavor and a hint of sweetness.
Isn't this much better than carrying around a hard, rock-hard pancake that could kill someone?
"Comrade Zhao, do you sell these noodles? If our military region wants to buy them, I wonder how many you can provide?"
Zhao Youcai thought it would take more effort, since he hadn't seen Director Cao, the purchasing manager he had met at the steel plant before. He just didn't expect the soldier in front of him to be so direct.
"Don't worry, we're all from the logistics department, and we're in charge of bulk purchasing."
Seemingly sensing Zhao Youcai's concerns, the soldier in front of him added a sentence to explain.
Zhao Youcai understood the situation and nodded in agreement.
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