Jiang Shiyue had just returned to the compound with Yang Yang when they were stopped by Xu Li who was passing by with an apron.
"Sister-in-law, you are finally back. We have been to your house looking for you several times."
Jiang Shiyue rolled down the car window and asked, "Sister-in-law, is there anything wrong?"
"We usually celebrate New Year's Eve together in our compound. Everyone went there. We went to your house to call you but you weren't home. We just happened to see you coming back so we stopped a car."
Jiang Shiyue is the only private car in the entire compound, it is as obvious as it can be.
Jiang Shiyue nodded and said, "Thank you, sister-in-law. I'll stop the car and come over."
***
After returning home, Jiang Shiyue first packed up the steamed buns, rice cakes and dumplings that Wu Xiu'e brought her and placed them in a ventilated place in the corridor.
It's easy for hair to grow if the room is too hot, and we don't have a refrigerator at home.
Jiang Shiyue originally wanted to buy one, but Chen Shanhe wouldn't let her, saying it was unnecessary.
Usually she is in Huacheng and he lives in the team.
Bang!
She heard the sound of something falling and breaking on the floor in the room.
Like porcelain.
Jiang Shiyue hurried to the room, she was afraid that Yangyang would cut his fingers or toes.
Rushing back into the room, I saw dirt and ceramics scattered all over the floor.
The flowerpot that Xu Li sent fell to the ground and broke.
Seeing Jiang Shiyue coming in, Yangyang bowed his head and apologized, "Mom, I'm sorry."
Jiang Shiyue took Yangyang aside and checked him carefully. Seeing that he was not injured, she touched his head and said, "It's okay. I know Yangyang didn't mean it. As long as you are not hurt, it's okay."
She picked up a broom and dustpan to sweep up the dirt and debris from the flowers and found a small medicine bottle in the soil.
The medicine bottle is a bit transparent and you can see what's inside.
Jiang Shiyue picked it up, cleaned it, and put it on the table, thinking that she would check later to see if it was waste or if Xu Li had accidentally dropped it into the flowerpot.
If it's the latter, go to the team headquarters and bring it to her later.
When Jiang Shiyue cleaned the floor and washed her hands, she found that Yangyang had already opened the medicine bottle and was trying hard to take out the contents.
Although this behavior was not very polite, Jiang Shiyue was more surprised than blamed.
Yangyang rarely takes the initiative to explore anything, but he is actually interested in a small medicine bottle.
"Do you need my help?"
After obtaining Yangyang's consent, Jiang Shiyue turned the medicine bottle upside down and tapped it lightly on the table a few times, and a cylindrical object fell out of it.
"Huh? What is this?" Jiang Shiyue looked at the cylinder and felt that it looked familiar.
She just asked casually, not expecting an answer, almost talking to herself.
Unexpectedly, Yang Yang said, "Film."
Jiang Shiyue was startled. He looked at Yangyang first, then at the cylindrical object in his hand, and asked him, "Are you saying this is the film used in the camera?"
Yangyang nodded.
Jiang Shiyue raised an eyebrow.
In her previous life, she was born in the new century. As far as she could remember, her family had always used digital cameras for photography, and later, only the versatile mobile phone. She had never seen film, let alone microfilm.
In this life, during the impoverished times, most people barely managed to make ends meet. The occasional photo shoot would be taken at a photo studio, where they would wait for the developed prints to arrive. Even the original owner had no memory of film.
No wonder she didn't recognize him at first.
Jiang Shiyue narrowed his eyes and looked at the small cylinder in his hand, not daring to unscrew the cap on the top rashly.
Although she had never seen the real film, she still knew about film and was afraid of exposure.
At this moment, Jiang Shiyue would no longer be naive enough to think that this was a coincidence.
Did Xu Li forget the microfilm she hid in the flowerpot?
Or is this film meant for her?
Giving it to her without telling her would definitely not be a good thing.
Unfortunately, it’s Chinese New Year and all the photo studios are closed, so I can’t develop the photos to look at them.
Jiang Shiyue thought it over again and again, then handed the film box to Yangyang, "Yangyang, Mommy has a favor to ask of you. Can you protect this film? Don't let anyone get hold of it until I come back."
Yangyang nodded and took the film.
After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Shiyue asked Yangyang for his opinion, "Yangyang, do you want to stay at home or go play with the team?"
Yang Yang didn't refuse directly. He looked up and asked Jiang Shiyue: "Is Meng Meng coming back?"
Jiang Shiyue: “…”
She rejected him ruthlessly, "No. Mengmeng is in the other compound."
Yang Yang nodded and said two words decisively: "No!"
***
When Jiang Shiyue arrived at the team headquarters, the open space in front of the building was already surrounded by people.
The small square was filled with tables and chairs. Several square tables in the corners were put together to form long tables, and each long table was crowded with officers, soldiers and their sisters-in-law.
Everyone was talking and laughing.
The children were running around and playing in the gaps between the tables and chairs.
There was laughter and joy everywhere.
Wang Yan was the first to see Jiang Shiyue and beckoned her over. "Sister-in-law Shiyue, come here quickly. Can you make dumplings?"
Jiang Shiyue hesitated and shook his head.
It’s not that she doesn’t know how to do it, but she is not proficient in the business and the dumplings she makes don’t look good.
"Do you know how to roll out dumpling wrappers?"
Jiang Shiyue nodded.
Wang Yan grabbed a rolling pin from the long table and stuffed it into Jiang Shiyue's hand. "Come on, sister-in-law! Come together."
Jiang Shiyue walked into the space she had left open and saw that the entire long table was covered with noodles.
Men and women gathered around the table were making dumplings.
Some people are responsible for kneading the dough and dividing it into small cylinders, some are responsible for flattening the cylinders and spreading dry flour on them, some are responsible for rolling out the dough, and some are responsible for wrapping it.
"In our northern part, the most important thing during the Chinese New Year is eating dumplings." Wang Yan kept moving her hands while introducing them to Jiang Shiyue.
She is very skilled in making dumplings. She picks up the stuffing with chopsticks and places it in her palm, then pinches and pinches it with both hands to make a beautiful big-bellied dumpling.
Jiang Shiyue was filled with envy. With this speed and quality, a handmade dumpling shop would definitely be a booming business in the new century.
Then he laughed at himself, thinking that his occupational disease was ingrained in him and he had to evaluate the return on investment for everything he saw.
She nodded and picked up the rolling pin.
The business of making dumplings is still a little unfamiliar to Jiang Shiyue.
Which office worker has so much leisure time to slowly knead the dough, mix the stuffing and make dumplings?
Basically just buy frozen.
However, Jiang Shiyue discovered that not everyone busy at the table was doing a particularly good job.
Especially the officers and soldiers.
The dough is divided into large and small sizes, and the dumpling skins rolled out are thick and thin, round and square.
The sisters-in-law who made dumplings were not all as skilled as Wang Yan. Some of the dumplings they made were standing up, some were lying down, some had big bellies and round waists, and some were long and flat, like those just returned from a refugee camp.
Perhaps noticing Jiang Shiyue's frequent prying eyes, Zhong Wenwen took the initiative to explain to Jiang Shiyue: "Our place is different from the compound you stayed in before. There are fewer people here. So we have to work together.
When making dumplings, the goal is to have a lively atmosphere, and whether they taste good is secondary. But…"
Zhong Wenwen paused and said, "With our level, it's really a waste of flour."
This is white flour, a fine grain.
In those days when even coarse grains were not enough to eat, fine grains were indeed a luxury and a bit of a waste.
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