"Then it's okay to keep the meat at home for a few days." Qiao Xinyi nodded.
The temperature dropped significantly during the New Year holidays, with the outdoor temperature reaching zero degrees, or even minus one or two degrees, just like a natural refrigerator.
Although there were only three adults and two children in the family, Fu Bailu prepared a very sumptuous reunion dinner.
The table was full of fish, shrimp, chicken, beef and mutton. The two children were dazzled by the sight of it all sitting at the table.
"I love Chinese New Year so much. There are so many delicious foods. It's better than going to a restaurant!" Fu Linzhou handed his brother chopsticks and asked him, "Brother, do you like Chinese New Year?"
"I like it! I can wear new clothes when I wake up tomorrow!" Fu Zeyu has been thinking about it for several days and even arranged which outfit to wear on which day.
He had already taken out the clothes he would wear tomorrow and placed them by the bed after taking a shower in the afternoon.
Fu Qingshan will start his duty tomorrow and will be staying in the army for three days. Qiao Xinyi and the others will be going back to the city tomorrow, so Fu Bailu has to cook a lot of dishes, but not a lot of each dish, as the whole family can eat almost enough.
"Come on, let's clink the soda in our cups together." After eating and drinking her fill, Qiao Xinyi started to have a sense of ritual.
When Fu Bailu asked Fu Linzhou and Fu Zeyu what they wanted to buy for the New Year, the two brothers strongly requested for soda. So as soon as Fu Bailu called for dinner, the two children put the soda on the table.
"I want to meet someone." Although it was tiring to prepare this New Year's Eve dinner, Fu Bailu was happy in her heart.
"Thank you Aunt Fu for taking care of us, thank you Captain Fu for defending our country, and thank you Fu Linzhou and Fu Zeyu for becoming smart and healthy friends."
Qiao Xinyi said this and laughed, "Thank you Comrade Qiao Xinyi for your outstanding achievements in the past year! In the new year, we should all be happy, healthy, and have everything we want come true!"
"Happy New Year!"
The family raised their glasses and clinked them. Qiao Xinyi's words made Fu Bailu's eyes red and the two children clapped their hands excitedly.
Fu Qingshan drank a glass, thought for a while, reached out and touched Qiao Xinyi's belly, and asked Qiao Xinyi to touch him twice more.
"For the two children in my belly." Fu Qingshan said softly, "Thank you for coming to us and becoming our children."
Qiao Xinyi didn't expect Fu Qingshan to be sentimental. She glanced at him, but still clinked glasses with him twice, then lowered her head and drank two glasses.
After finishing their meal and clearing away the dishes, the family got dressed and went to the army’s auditorium.
Normally, family members of the troops never come here, only this day a year.
Qiao Xinyi thought that their family had arrived early, but when they arrived, they found that the place was already crowded with people.
"The family members are so enthusiastic this year." Fu Qingshan was shocked. He thought that the weather was so cold this year that not many family members would be willing to walk such a long way to join in the fun.
"You forgot that this year we have a commendation ceremony for the families of our family compound." Fu Bailu said, "Yan Hua said that the performance will start after the commendation ceremony."
Fu Qingshan raised his eyebrows.
No wonder so many people came, they were all looking forward to this day. The sisters-in-law in the family compound had been waiting for a long time.
In previous years, there would not be so many people coming to this kind of performance. It is rare for them to have a rest, and a large number of people would rather rest in the dormitory or read a book in the reading room.
In Fu Qingshan's previous army, such performances were usually held in the afternoon. After lunch, everyone would go back to take a nap. What could one do with the entire afternoon?
Even he, who was not happy about it, sat in the audience and clapped his hands so hard that his palms were sore by the time the performance was over.
Fu Qingshan found seats for his family members and asked them to sit down. Guessing that there might not be enough seats in the auditorium today, Fu Qingshan stood next to Qiao Xinyi and did not sit down, choosing to give his seat to the family members who rarely got in.
The seat they found was in the fourth row, quite near the front. Soon, Yan Hua's sister-in-law and several others came over. The performance hadn't started yet, so several sisters-in-law who were familiar with Qiao Xinyi gathered together to chat.
"Teacher Qiao, are you going to the city zoo tomorrow? Our two naughty monkeys are insisting on going." A sister-in-law invited, "If you have nothing to do, let's go together. It will be more fun and more company."
"I have to go back to my parents' home early tomorrow morning." Qiao Xinyi shook her head. "The zoo will definitely be busy tomorrow. It's New Year's Day and everyone wants to spoil their children. Adults will take their children to the zoo to play."
"I forgot that you are from the provincial capital and you are going back to your parents' home for the New Year." The sister-in-law nodded. She knew Qiao Xinyi was busy, but she asked casually.
The two children had already run off to play with their friends, and Fu Bailu went to chat with her old sisters.
Sister-in-law Lu and another sister-in-law came over.
One of the sisters-in-law started to speak, lowering her voice, "Do you know? Captain Cheng has submitted his divorce report."
"I know." Sister-in-law Yan Hua nodded. "Old Xu was so angry that he called him to the office and scolded him."
"What's the point of scolding Captain Cheng? He's not the only one who wants a divorce." The sister-in-law spread her hands, "It's his wife who insists on divorcing him. I heard that Captain Cheng's mother-in-law in his hometown urged him to divorce, saying that she would find him a girl in the countryside who is obedient and can raise a son. She said that as long as Captain Cheng gets a divorce here, he can go back to his hometown after the New Year holiday and marry his new wife."
Seeing that everyone was staring at her in amazement, the sister-in-law laughed, "Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"You know so much." Qiao Xinyi praised her, "You are really well-informed."
"It's not that I think I'm well-informed." The sister-in-law burst out laughing. "It's quite interesting to talk about this. The person that Cheng's mother found for Captain Cheng is my cousin's junior high school classmate. He is also my cousin's neighbor in the same village, less than a hundred meters away."
"That girl is 33 this year, still a virgin. Captain Cheng's mother sent the girl's photo directly to the family of Captain Cheng's wife and wrote a letter asking them not to delay Captain Cheng's remarriage. She said that the girl she had arranged for her son was a hundred times better than the one Captain Cheng has now, and that a girl like that was worthy of Captain Cheng."
"Isn't this a bit too crazy of the Cheng family?" Qiao Xinyi thought to herself that she admired them. "If Sister Cheng's family had been a little tougher and brought the certificate and letter to inform the troops, it would have been enough to give Captain Cheng a hard time."
"You can't bully a family of honest people because they don't understand." Mrs. Lu has lived across from the Cheng family for almost half a year and knows a little bit. "She doesn't want to make things too ugly by bullying Mrs. Cheng's family. After all, Captain Cheng is the biological father of their granddaughter. If the biological father's future is ruined, her biological daughter will not be able to get away with it at all."
Captain Cheng's mother came to the army and stayed for a few days. Sister Lu saw the old woman of the Cheng family using her own granddaughter to control her daughter-in-law every day.
"Captain Cheng himself is moved. If he doesn't have that thought in his mind, who can put a knife to his neck and force him to file for divorce?" Qiao Xinyi curled her lips.
"Now this sister-in-law Cheng and his mother don't get along. Maybe he wants to divorce her and marry someone his mother likes, so there won't be so many messy things at home to bother him."
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