Chapter 54, The Jiang Family
Before going to the Jiang family's house, Lin Qingqing and Xie Wei went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought two packs of peach shortbread and a small pack of candy. Because it was soft candy, the quantity was small but the price was not cheap.
Therefore, after seeing what they brought, Jiang Feng's wife, Shen Yufen, repeatedly said that it was unnecessary.
"I really didn't know what to buy, so I just bought some snacks and candies since I thought the kids would probably like them," Lin Qingqing said with a smile, and thanked Jiang Feng and Shen Yufen for lending them the stove.
Jiang Feng was two years older than Xie Wei. He had a square face and his features weren't particularly striking, but they were pleasing to the eye when put together. He looked serious, but he was actually quite amiable. Hearing her say that, he smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, you're too kind. It's just a stove; there's no need for you to thank me so much."
“Actually, we usually eat at the canteen, and we don’t use the coal stove at home much,” Shen Yufen said. She has a vocational school diploma and was assigned to be a primary school teacher after joining the army. Although teachers don’t have to be on duty at the office, they teach many classes and have to grade homework when they get home, so they are very busy every day. In addition, it’s just her and her son at home, so naturally they are too lazy to cook.
Lin Qingqing knew they didn't want her to feel any psychological burden, so she didn't thank them again and went inside with everyone.
Jiang Feng's family also lived in a row house, a little further back, in building number forty-eight. Xie Wei actually wanted to be neighbors with the Jiang family, but not only was his row full, but all the houses around him were occupied. Since they couldn't live together, Xie Wei naturally chose a house according to the conditions he and Lin Qingqing had agreed upon.
Although Shen Yufen was busy with work, she was diligent and loved to tidy up. The floor of her house was always spotless, and there was a vase on the coffee table in the living room with two sprigs of wax chrysanthemum, one long and one short. Their sofa, like the Xie family's, was made of wood and had not been painted, but Shen Yufen had placed cushions on the seats and covered the armrests with dust cloths.
Of course, wooden sofas are dirt-resistant, and the dust cover is mainly for decoration, so a light color was chosen, and it is also embroidered with flowers.
Jiang Feng and Shen Yufen's son, Jiang Peng, was squatting on the coffee table playing with building blocks. When he saw people come in, he greeted them as "Uncle and Auntie."
"Hello Pengpeng." Lin Qingqing greeted him with a smile.
"Look what Uncle Xie and Aunt Lin brought you!" Shen Yufen walked up to Jiang Peng and showed him the peach shortbread and candy that Lin Qingqing had brought.
Upon seeing the food, Jiang Peng's eyes lit up, and his gaze towards Lin Qingqing and Xie Wei became much warmer: "Thank you, Uncle and Aunt!" He stared longingly at the food in Shen Yufen's hands.
Shen Yufen opened the peach shortbread, took out a piece, and handed it to her son, saying, "You can only eat one piece."
Another piece was given to Lin Qingqing, but Xie Wei, who doesn't like sweets, didn't take the peach shortbread.
After distributing the peach shortbread, Shen Yufen asked Jiang Feng to greet them and then went to the kitchen to fetch a pot of tea. She poured a cup for each person, sat down, and asked, "Is your house all ready?"
"That's about it."
Jiang Feng said, "Just tell me if you need any help."
Xie Wei nodded: "Definitely."
Jiang Feng didn't believe him. Pointing at him, he said to Lin Qingqing, "When I found out you were in the army, I told him to let you stay at home, but he refused, saying that the guesthouse was convenient. But even if the guesthouse is convenient, can it be as comfortable as home? I know he's just afraid of bothering me! Sister-in-law, don't follow his example. If you have any difficulties, just say so. Although I'm not very capable, my husband has been in the army for a few years and knows the place well."
As he spoke, Shen Yufen nodded in agreement: "That's right, please don't be shy."
Lin Qingqing quickly replied, "We certainly won't be polite!"
"Sister-in-law, you seem like an honest person. I'm relieved to hear you say that." Jiang Feng pretended not to believe Xie Wei.
Seeing Xie Wei's helpless expression, Lin Qingqing suppressed a laugh and nodded, "Don't worry."
...
Xie Wei and Lin Qingqing arrived early. Shen Yufen had only bought the vegetables but hadn't cooked them yet. After they finished their tea, she went into the kitchen to prepare lunch. Lin Qingqing saw this and quickly followed her in to help.
When Shen Yufen saw her come in, she said, "No need, go sit down and talk to them. I can manage on my own here."
“We agreed to treat you two to dinner, so what’s with you busy in the kitchen, sister-in-law?” Jiang Feng said from outside. “I still have some questions for you two.”
Although they said that, Lin Qingqing couldn't let Shen Yufen do the work alone. She walked to the door and said to Jiang Feng, "If you have any questions, you can ask Xie Wei. He can answer for me, which is the same." Then she said to Shen Yufen, "I just want to get closer to you. Let them talk about their own things."
Shen Yufen had no choice but to say, "Alright then," and asked Lin Qingqing to help her peel the garlic.
While the two were busy in the kitchen, they naturally started chatting.
The initial conversation revolved around marriage and military service, which was also the topic Lin Qingqing talked about most after joining the army. Because of their similar experiences, such topics helped her get closer to other family members.
"Jiang Feng and I met through a blind date. At the time, I had just graduated from vocational school less than two years prior and was teaching at the primary school in our commune. He was our principal's nephew. When I first heard that he was a soldier, I wasn't really happy about it. Firstly, I thought soldiers were rarely home, and being a military wife would be too hard."
"It's tough, but I also don't want to leave my hometown and start over in a strange place," Shen Yufen said while cutting potatoes.
Lin Qingqing asked, "Then why did you agree later?"
“It didn’t work out then. He went back to the army. The following year, during the Spring Festival, I had just gone on a blind date with someone. That person…” Shen Yufen hesitated for a moment before saying, “It wasn’t a good match. He kept coming to the school to wait for me. Once, he saw me and pretended to be my boyfriend, and chased me away.”
Lin Qingqing laughed, making Shen Yufen a little embarrassed. She said, "Not long after that, we became a couple. What about you? Did you also get married through a blind date?"
Lin Qingqing peeled the garlic, picked up the cowpeas on the table and started picking them, then thought for a moment and said, "We didn't meet through a blind date. If I had to say anything, it would be like a hero saving a damsel in distress?"
Shen Yufen's eyes widened, and she asked curiously, "How did he save you?"
"At the end of last year, on the very day he returned to his hometown, I fell into our brigade's pond, and he happened to be passing by and saved me." Lin Qingqing recalled and recounted how she met Xie Wei.
When they talked, they inevitably brought up the Lin family's affairs, which made Shen Yufen furious: "They are so shameless! Luckily you met Commander Xie."
"Yes, I'm so glad I met him," Lin Qingqing exclaimed.
After finishing the story and cooking, Lin Qingqing carried the dishes out and said to the three people sitting in the living room, "Dinner is ready."
...
People in the 1970s were generally frugal, and even when entertaining guests, they wouldn't order a large spread of dishes like people do in later generations. So today there were only four dishes: sweet and sour fish, minced meat and green beans, hot and sour shredded potatoes, and three-delicacy soup, all in generous portions.
The fish and shredded potatoes were made by Lin Qingqing, a fact that Shen Yufen specifically mentioned when the dishes were served.
"Your sister-in-law's cooking looks pretty good," Jiang Feng said, looking at the delicious-looking sweet and sour fish. He then asked Xie Wei if he had tried any of Lin Qingqing's cooking.
Xie Wei had never tried it, so he didn't say anything.
Jiang Feng and Xie Wei had known each other for many years, so he knew Xie Wei well. Seeing Xie Wei's expression, Jiang Feng said, "You've definitely never eaten this before. Looks like I'm in for a treat." As he spoke, he started rolling up his sleeves.
Shen Yufen slapped his hand away and said, "Let Commander Xie eat first."
"Yes, yes, Lao Xie should eat first. My wife is so thoughtful." Jiang Feng didn't seem unhappy at all after being slapped. He smiled and told Lin Qingqing to sit down quickly.
Lin Qingqing sat down next to Xie Wei and said softly, "Why don't you try it and see how it tastes?"
Xie Wei picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks.
The fish was freshly killed bream, with firm and tender flesh, a perfect balance of saltiness, and a hint of sweetness.
And it didn't have a fishy smell at all. Xie Wei nodded and said, "Delicious."
Hearing him say it was delicious, Jiang Feng quickly picked up a chopstick and put it in his mouth, his eyes lighting up as he said, "It's really good." He then tried the shredded potatoes, which were sour, spicy, and refreshing.
Xie Wei prefers strong flavors, especially sour and spicy ones, and he took a few extra bites of shredded potatoes because he thought they tasted good.
Lin Qingqing was pleased to see him eat so much, but she still asked, "How's the shredded potato?"
"It tastes better than what the cafeteria chef makes," Xie Wei said approvingly.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Feng nodded hurriedly, scooped up a spoonful of the minced meat and green beans his wife had made, ate it with rice, and asked, "Sister-in-law, your cooking skills are quite good. Did you learn from someone?"
"I learned a few dishes from someone," Lin Qingqing told Aunt Wang.
Jiang Feng nodded and said, "No wonder. Judging from your cooking skills, if you were assigned to a canteen or a state-run restaurant, you could be the head chef." He knew that Lin Qingqing's job was not something that could be transferred at will, but rather depended on the arrangements made by the military.
"There may not be any positions available in canteens and state-run restaurants."
These days, being a chef is a highly sought-after job. Whether it's a staff canteen in a residential compound or a state-run restaurant, there are always several apprentices lining up behind the head chef.
Moreover, Shen Yufen felt that being a chef was hard work, and Lin Qingqing, with her small arms and legs, might not be able to lift an iron wok. She said, "I think we should ask if there are any office jobs first, or if that doesn't work, see when the supply and marketing cooperatives are hiring. When looking for a job, you can't rush it. You have to take it slow to find one that suits your taste."
Lin Qingqing nodded and said, "I also want to take my time looking, there's no rush."
Jiang Feng suddenly remembered and asked, "Did you go to the Revolutionary Committee to check on their work?"
“My application to accompany my family to the military wasn’t approved before. I went to the police station on Friday to transfer my household registration, but I’ve been busy moving these past two days, so I haven’t had a chance to go yet,” Lin Qingqing said while eating. “I plan to go to the Revolutionary Committee tomorrow.”
"Okay, let's go check out the situation first, so we'll have a better understanding of it."
...
Halfway through the meal, Jiang Feng brought out a bottle of wine and said that he couldn't attend Xie Wei's wedding, so he wanted to make up for it with the wine from Xie Wei's wedding.
Xie Wei initially didn't want to drink, but he was persuaded and had no choice but to agree to have a couple of drinks with him. However, once you give in to drinking, it's not just a matter of one or two drinks. In the end, Jiang Feng passed out, and Xie Wei wasn't much better off.
Although Xie Wei seemed sober when he left the Jiang family, his steps were steady, and he knew to return the salute when others saluted him, he became drunk as soon as he got home. His body began to sway, and Lin Qingqing finally managed to help him to bed. She was about to go to the bathroom to get a towel to put on his forehead when he suddenly pulled her onto the bed.
Lin Qingqing struggled for a moment, but he not only didn't let go but hugged her even tighter, so she had no choice but to call out, "Xie Wei."
"Don't move." Xie Wei turned his head and kissed her cheek, his voice muffled, still holding her tightly.
Helpless, Lin Qingqing had no choice but to lie on the bed with the man, who reeked of alcohol, until he fell asleep completely before she withdrew from his embrace.
As she backed away, Lin Qingqing thought to herself, "I absolutely cannot let him drink so much alcohol during meals in the future!"
Author's Note: Second update.
After thinking about it, I changed the department that assigned the work.
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