Chapter 40
What? Meat?
Zhang Hongping was shocked and hurriedly held the lunch box steady, but her hands were still shaking. This guy didn't even tell her in advance that it was meat. What if she didn't hold it steady?
"We're having meat in the cafeteria today?" Zhang Hongping thought her grandson was smart. He knew there was meat today, so he went to the cafeteria.
Teacher Qin: "Did you bring this leftover meat back for Grandpa to eat?"
Before Qin Ming could answer, Zhang Hongping said, "What did you eat? Heat it up in the evening and save it for our Xiao Ming."
Qin Ming said, "Give it to Grandpa. I won't eat at home in the evening. I'll eat in the cafeteria. This is what Lu Haici's mother asked me to bring back. It's what I had left at noon."
Zhang Hongping opened the lunch box and a burst of fragrance came out. The aroma of braised meat mixed with onions, and because the weather was hot, the hot dishes cooled slowly, so the dishes were still warm. But that was not a big deal. Zhang Hongping, who had been cooking for decades, knew at a glance that this was not meat. She immediately frowned: "Xiao Ming, are you sure you want to eat meat for lunch?" This is not meat at all, it is pig intestines. Will Lu Cheng's wife deceive her grandson?
Qin Ming didn't know what his grandmother was thinking: "Yes, it's this meat." In his mind, it was this meat.
Hearing her grandson's affirmative words, Zhang Hongping's face turned ugly. She showed the lunch box to Teacher Qin: "Old Qin, taste it, this is clearly pig intestines. Lu Cheng's wife actually gave our grandson pig intestines as meat. It's too much."
"Really?" Teacher Qin took a bite, and then his eyes lit up, "Oh, this thing is really delicious." Then he took a second bite.
"Isn't it delicious?" Qin Ming said proudly when he heard his grandfather say this, "I brought this back. Lu Haici's mother said that I only ate four pieces, and a bowl of this meat dish should be more than four pieces, so she asked me to bring it back. I wanted to eat it all, but Lu Haici's mother said that children can't eat too much, and eating four pieces is enough."
Teacher Qin didn't know that children can't eat too much pig intestines, but after listening to Qin Ming, he felt that Lu Cheng's wife was very good. So he said: "Your little friend's mother is right, children can only eat four pieces of meat, it's not good to eat too much, you have to bring it back for the family to eat together." Lu Cheng's wife is still good at teaching children. Look at her teaching, and her grandson is obedient. His grandson was spoiled by his wife. But he was busy and didn't know how to teach his children.
Zhang Hongping couldn't help asking after hearing what her grandson said, "What else did you eat?"
Qin Ming said, "I also ate vegetables and tomatoes with sugar. Grandma, tomatoes cut into slices and mixed with sugar are really delicious."
What? Her grandson also ate vegetables? "Don't you dislike vegetables?" Zhang Hongping couldn't believe it. Her grandson liked to eat meat and eggs, so why did he eat vegetables today? And tomatoes, he didn't like tomatoes before, tomatoes with sugar? She thought to herself, she would try it next time.
"Because the vegetables cooked by Lu Haici's mother are delicious, but yours are not. Ah... and I also had tomato and egg soup, which was also delicious. I gulped down half a bowl in one gulp. Grandma, Lu Haici's mother is really amazing. Everything she cooks is delicious. Lu Haici said that his mother works in the cafeteria. Lu Haici and I have made an appointment that I will go to the cafeteria with Lu Haici every day in the future." Qin Ming happily announced the decision made by the three friends when they were having dinner.
Zhang Hongping did not object. What she was thinking about was how Lu Cheng's wife cooked the vegetables so that her grandson would like to eat them.
"Oh... it would be great if Lu Haici's mother was my mother." Qin Ming sighed again.
"Don't let your mother hear you saying this." Zhang Hongping was really at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
"She's not at home, so she can't hear it." Qin Ming said indifferently.
Qin Ming's mother Qian Yuelan did not live in the family compound. There were only two rooms in Teacher Qin's yard. Although Qin San worked in the cafeteria, he was not qualified to apply for the family compound, so he could only live with Teacher Qin. But Qian Yuelan didn't want to live with her mother-in-law, so she rented a house in the county town. Therefore, Qin San went to the county town after work. As a result, Qin Ming, who had always been with his grandparents, rarely saw his parents. Dad was okay, because he was in the cafeteria and he could see him occasionally. As for mom, it was good to see her once a week.
Zhang Hongping had no objection to her daughter-in-law living in the county town. When her daughter-in-law is not around, her grandson kisses her. She doesn't want her daughter-in-law to come back. Now that she has a grandson, she doesn't even want her son, let alone her daughter-in-law. Of course, it would be great if they could have another grandson.
"Okay, okay, let's not talk about your mother. Go to bed. You have to go to kindergarten in the afternoon." Zhang Hongping saw that Teacher Qin was almost finishing the braised pork intestines in the lunch box. She wanted to ask Lu Cheng's wife why she gave her grandson braised pork intestines. Now, there is no way to tell her. But if you think about it carefully, Lu Cheng's wife would not do such a thing. Lu Cheng's wife is a smart person. If she really used pork intestines instead of meat, she would not let her grandson take it home. So the meat in grandson's mouth might be pig's intestines, but grandson has never eaten pig's intestines and doesn't know. After figuring it out, Zhang Hongping picked up the chopsticks and took a bite. She came from the countryside, and others might dislike pig's intestines, but she would not. When there is no meat to eat, pig's intestines are good, but they are smelly and people don't like to eat them.
But... she widened her eyes. The braised pig's intestines brought back by grandson are too delicious, right?
Seeing this, Teacher Qin smiled and said, "Isn't it delicious? Lu Cheng's wife's cooking skills are really good. No wonder Xiao Ming likes it."
Zhang Hongping snorted, "He likes it, can I stop him from eating it?" She is not stupid. Her grandson went to eat with the canteen rations, and she would not give him anything delicious to eat. Probably only Yang Mailian could do such a thing.
Just like the Qin family, the braised pork intestines that Ji Yang brought home also went into Ji Changfeng's stomach.
However, Xu Huijuan did not doubt that Lin Qingqing used pork intestines instead of meat, because their family lived next door to the Lu family, and her son had eaten Lin Qingqing's cooking several times. She had also eaten pumpkin pie, baked potatoes and tofu pancakes, so she still believed in Lin Qingqing's cooking skills.
However, she felt a little disappointed when she thought that Lin Qingqing went to work in the canteen while she still had no job.
"Old Ji, what do you think of my cooking skills?" Xu Huijuan asked.
Ji Changfeng was enjoying his braised pork intestines. When he heard what his wife said, he immediately said, "Very good." This was the truth. Although he could not compare with Comrade Lin, his wife's cooking skills were also good. You know, in the past, he and his son either ate in the canteen or ate what his mother cooked, but they could not compare with his wife.
Speaking of which, his wife was introduced by his mother.
Ji Changfeng's previous wife also passed away because of illness. Before she died, she lived in the family compound. Because she passed away suddenly, Ji Changfeng had no choice but to let his mother come here. His mother lived in the family compound for two years. At the beginning of last year, when the four-year-old Ji Yang was able to go to kindergarten, she returned to her hometown. But only two months after my mother returned home, she called him and said that she had found a girl for him, and that girl was Xu Huijuan.
My mother brought Xu Huijuan to the army to meet him. After the meeting, he felt that she was good. So after being together for half a year, they got married at the end of last year. At that time, it had been exactly three years, which was equivalent to him waiting for his previous wife for three years.
In fact, he was not wrong. Xu Huijuan was really good. She was very good to him, and even better to Ji Yang. Ji Changfeng felt that it was a great honor for his family to marry Xu Huijuan in this life.
Xu Huijuan: "What do you think, I should go to work in the cafeteria too?"
"This..." Ji Changfeng did not object. Deputy Regiment General Lu made more money than him, but he did not object to his wife going to work. Ji Changfeng was not a stubborn person, so naturally he would not object. "Then I need to see if the canteen is hiring. I need to ask about this."
Xu Huijuan: "Then you help me ask. I want to make money, and save as much as I can to help Ji Yang get married."
Ji Changfeng laughed: "He is still a little bastard, it is too early for him to get married, why don't we work hard tonight, and you give me two more children?"
Xu Huijuan felt disgusted when she heard this. But she was not disgusted with Ji Changfeng, but remembered those two ungrateful people. But she couldn't reject Ji Changfeng openly, because she knew that men like to have many children. She smiled and said, "Wait a little longer. Ji Yang is still young, and I've only been married to you for more than half a year. If you get pregnant now, I'm afraid he'll be suspicious. I want to wait a few years until Ji Yang grows up. Besides, Ji Yang is my son, even if I don't have another child, he's still my son."
Ji Changfeng naturally wouldn't object to her saying this. He felt that Xu Huijuan was doing this for Ji Yang's own good, so there was no reason for him to object. What she didn't know was that Xu Huijuan was waiting for the ten-year difficult period to come. When the ten-year difficult period came, she would say that the current situation was unstable and she should wait a little longer.
If she waited any longer, it would be time for family planning, and she wouldn't have to have another child.
...
Lin Qingqing came back from the cafeteria after finishing her work and saw Ji Changfeng standing in the yard. After Ji Changfeng finished his meal and stood in the yard for a while, he saw Lin Qingqing. He remembered that Xu Huijuan wanted to go to the canteen, so he went into the house. "Wife, I saw Comrade Lin come back."
Xu Huijuan was puzzled: "What did you see Comrade Lin for?"
Ji Changfeng said: "You can ask Comrade Lin about the work in the canteen. We are neighbors, and Ji Yang and Lu Haici have a good relationship. It should be okay to ask her. After I go down to the army, I will also ask. If we ask in both directions, we should be able to get more details."
Xu Huijuan was somewhat resistant to asking Lin Qingqing. She didn't dislike Lin Qingqing, but it was mainly related to her previous life. Every time she saw Lin Qingqing, she felt that she was like a mirror, reflecting her previous life. So, she was a little scared.
However, compared to work, this is nothing. She only resisted for a while, then said, "Then I'll go ask around."
Xu Huijuan cleaned up the house, washed her hands, prepared herself mentally, and went next door.
Lin Qingqing was planning to use her lunch break to alter another set of home clothes. She made a gray set yesterday and planned to make a white one today. As soon as she took out the cloth for cutting, she heard Xu Huijuan's voice from the yard: "Is Comrade Lin here?"
Lu Cheng and Lu Haici were both taking a nap, especially Lu Cheng, who got up early yesterday and was already asleep at this time, so Lin Qingqing didn't want to wake him up, so she hurried out and closed the door when she went out. "I'm here, hello, Mother Ji Yang." Lin Qingqing greeted politely. Actually, they are neighbors, but they have never met in private. Compared with knowing Xu Huijuan, she knows Liu Honghua, whom she just met, better.
Xu Huijuan also said politely: "Thank you for taking care of Ji Yang today. Did the child cause you trouble?"
Lin Qingqing said: "No, no, Ji Yang and Hai Ci are good friends, and Ji Yang is very well-behaved and sensible." It is true that he did not cause any trouble.
Xu Huijuan wanted to ask about the cafeteria, but looking at Lin Qingqing, she looked so beautiful in a sailor shirt and beige trousers, and she was a little reserved.
This Lin Qingqing is really different from the Lin Qingqing of the previous life. She dresses like a little girl. Looking at herself again, she was actually about the same age as Lin Qingqing, but Lin Qingqing looked like a little girl, while she looked like a woman.
"Mother Ji Yang?" Seeing Xu Huijuan looking at her obscurely, Lin Qingqing called out again. It wasn't that she was sensitive, but there was something strange in the way Xu Huijuan looked at her, but she didn't know what was strange about it. But she didn't sense any malice in her eyes.
Xu Huijuan came back to her senses and said awkwardly, "Actually, I came to see Comrade Lin because I have one more thing I want to ask Comrade Lin." She gritted her teeth and spoke directly.
Although Lin Qingqing was curious about what she was going to ask, she looked calm: "What does Ji Yang's mother want to know?"
Xu Huijuan: "Yes... it's like this, I heard from Ji Yang that Comrade Lin is working in the canteen, right?"
Lin Qingqing nodded: "Yes, in the canteen of the third company's kitchen, not in the army canteen."
Xu Huijuan naturally knew the army canteen and the company canteen, and she thought it would be great to be able to work in the company canteen. "Comrade Lin, is the company canteen still recruiting people?"
"The third company's kitchen is not recruiting people, and I don't know about other company canteens." Lin Qingqing said truthfully.
"Then... what are the requirements for working in the company cafeteria?" Although Xu Huijuan can cook, but... "Although I know a few words, I have never been to school, I don't know if it's okay." Speaking of which, she learned to read from two ungrateful people in her previous life. But she knew that Lin Qingqing graduated from junior high school. In this era, not to mention junior high school graduates, even elementary school graduates are the best.
Lin Qingqing: "When I joined the Third Company's kitchen, I was only interviewed for my cooking skills, and I was not asked about my education. However, I was asked by Lu Cheng to go for an interview because he found out that the Third Company's kitchen was recruiting people. It is also possible that the kitchen leader knew that I had studied. But I think that since I am going to work in the canteen, my cooking skills should be the most important. I have eaten the scallion pancakes you made before, and I think you are a good cook. You can go and ask."
Hearing Lin Qingqing say that she is a good cook, Xu Huijuan was also a little happy. Through this brief conversation, she found that she was indeed nervous at the beginning, but then, listening to Lin Qingqing's words, she was not nervous anymore. Compared to the proud Lin Qingqing in her previous life, she actually felt that it was still easy to get along with this Lin Qingqing. "Thank you, Comrade Lin, I'll let Old Ji go ask."
Lin Qingqing: "You're welcome."
After Xu Huijuan left, Lin Qingqing went back to her room to continue making home clothes. However, Xu Huijuan's arrival also reminded Lin Qingqing of one thing. She only has a junior high school education now, and she doesn't know if the army can take the high school diploma without studying. I have to ask Lu Cheng about this later.
Lu Cheng woke up at almost half past one, and after waking up, he saw Lin Qingqing with her back to him, making clothes. He looked at Lin Qingqing's back for a while, and then got up.
The sound of Lu Cheng getting up woke up Lin Qingqing, who turned around and said, "You're awake."
"Yeah, it's almost time." Lu Cheng said, "What time do you go to work this afternoon?"
Lin Qingqing: "I have to go to work at 3:30, it's still early for me. By the way, Lu Cheng, I want to ask you something."
Lu Cheng: "What is it?" While asking Lin Qingqing, he woke up Lu Haici, and he went to the army and sent him to kindergarten.
Lin Qingqing: "Didn't I graduate from junior high school? I didn't get into high school because of poor grades. I want to ask, is there a way in the army that doesn't require high school but can take the high school graduation exam? I want to get a high school graduation certificate."
Lu Cheng heard her words and couldn't help asking: "If you can graduate from high school, have you ever thought about going to college?"
Lin Qingqing really didn't think about going to college, because she knew that the college entrance examination would be stopped in 1966, so she subconsciously didn't think about the college entrance examination. But now that Lu Cheng said it, she felt it made sense. Since she had to take the high school graduation exam, why not take the college entrance exam? However, it was 1963, could she take the college entrance exam before 1966? She had the same poor grades as the original owner.
Lin Qingqing naturally couldn't say that the college entrance exam would be stopped in 1966. She said, "My grades are not good. I don't even know if I can graduate from high school. How can I dare to hope for the college entrance exam?"
"That's easy. I'll teach you." Lu Cheng said this with full confidence. "I'll go to the bookstore and buy a set of books for the first year of high school. I'll teach you when I come back. I'll get a certificate from the army, and when you're sure, you can take the final exam for the first year of high school."
Lin Qingqing: "...Okay then." Although her grades were not good and she even wanted to show off, she felt that after she brought up what she had just said, Lu Cheng might urge her to make progress.
In fact, it was Xu Huijuan's words that reminded her that no matter what era it is, a good education can find a good job.
Lu Haici woke up vaguely and heard his father's last words. He asked curiously: "Is mom going to school too?"
Lu Cheng said: "Your mother wants to make progress with you, and you can study together then."
"Okay, okay..." Lu Haici said happily, "I can show my book to mom."
Lin Qingqing: "..." Thank you so much.
Lu Cheng: "Are you going to let your mother take the kindergarten entrance exam?"
Lu Haici paused and said: "I know, kindergarten is for children. Mom went to kindergarten when she was a child, so Mom doesn't go to kindergarten now. Then... is Mom going to junior high school like brother Da Wang?"
Lin Qingqing felt that the little guy didn't guess that she was going to elementary school, which really gave her face. "I'm going to high school, one grade higher than your brother Da Wang. Your brother Da Wang can only go to high school after graduating from junior high school."
"Wow... Mom is so awesome." Lu Haici immediately showed a proud expression.
Lu Cheng: "When your mother gets into college, it will be even more amazing." He felt that Lin Qingqing needed some encouragement and motivation, and Lu Haici might be able to inspire her motivation. He could see that she didn't want to be looked down upon by her son.
Lu Haici's eyes widened even more: "Wow... Mom is a college student when she gets into college, and Dad is also a college student. My mom and dad are both college students, so amazing."
Lin Qingqing: "Actually, I want to be a mother of a college student, so Lu Haici, you have to work hard to get into college and become a college student in the future." When Lu Haici graduates from high school, the college entrance examination should be resumed soon.
"Well, my mom is a college student, my dad is a college student, I am the kid of a college student, I must be a college student too." Lu Haici said with great ambition, not thinking at all that he might not be able to get into college.
Lu Cheng stopped listening to his son's bragging, and seeing that the time was almost up, he took his son out. At the door, he met Ji Changfeng who was also going out with his son.
"Lu Haici..."
"Ji Yang..."
The two little kids went to the kindergarten together in a friendly way, and the two fathers followed behind.
"Deputy Regiment Lu, today I heard from my son that Comrade Lin works in the cafeteria. After hearing this, my wife also wants to work in the cafeteria. I want to know if there are any other cafeterias that are hiring now?" Ji Changfeng met Lu Cheng, and naturally would not miss this opportunity.
"There were some a few days ago, but I'm not sure about these days. You can ask..." Lu Cheng told Ji Changfeng what he had learned.
"That's great. Thank you, Deputy Regiment Commander Lu." Ji Changfeng wrote down these companies and planned to ask about them later.
Lu Cheng: "You're welcome."
Kindergarten
Kindergarten is relatively free, and usually the kids are on their own. But today Lu Haici was a little lively. As soon as he arrived at the kindergarten, he asked his friends: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
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