"call……"
After seeing the person off, Zhang Shuguang slumped on the sofa.
"Dad, I didn't expect you to be so popular! So many people come to give you gifts."
Zhang Shuguang rubbed his face and kept smiling. He felt that the muscles on his face were a little stiff.
"I've just moved in not long ago and haven't had much interaction with people before. I didn't expect everyone to be so welcoming."
Zhang Xiangnan poured himself a glass of water and drank it in one gulp.
There were too many people just now, and his mouth was dry from talking.
"I know why so many people come."
Lei Aimin, who had been playing in the yard, came into the house to ask for water.
"You know nothing, don't make trouble, go play wherever it's cooler!"
Yan Xiaoyu looked at her youngest son with a look of disgust on her face.
"Mom, I really know."
Lei Aimin felt a little aggrieved, but he didn't dare to challenge Yan Xiaoyu's authority. He drank a glass of water and planned to go out and play.
"Xiao San, tell me why so many people are here!"
Su Hong and Yan Xiaoyu have different methods of educating their children. Su Hong does not have the airs of a parent and can communicate with every child on an equal footing.
She is not afraid of children saying something wrong. She thinks the real problem is that children dare not say anything.
"Aunt, Shitou just came here with his mother, and he told us in the yard.
I just saw Brother Xiaoguang leading a bison over here, with a sun bear, pheasants and hares on the buffalo's back.
All the children were ravenous and kept pestering the adults for meat, so everyone came over to give gifts."
Lei Xiaosan was a smart man. He told Su Hong the news he had obtained.
"Are the troops so short of meat? Don't they give out meat coupons every month?"
Su Hong was collecting all of Zhang Xiangnan's allowances and receipts.
Because Zhang Shuguang was there, the family had everything they needed. Su Hong had rarely been to the supply and marketing cooperative and was not very clear about the supply issues in the living area.
"Oh! My dear sister, do you think everyone has such a capable eldest son?
It is true that the troops have supplies, but they are only delivered once every two weeks.
In the past few years, things were fine. Both grain and meat were in sufficient supply.
It has been bad in the past two years. The harvests have been poor, and we have to pay back the debts to the north, so the supply cannot be guaranteed.
In the past two years, both grain and meat have been subject to purchase restrictions. You can only buy two kilograms of meat at a time, which means a total of four kilograms of meat per month.
Even so, we still have the geographical advantage. We can go into the mountains to hunt for game, and we can also go to the town to exchange meat with the locals. Otherwise, life would be even more difficult."
Yan Xiaoyu has been with the army for several years and knows the daily life here very well.
"Well, Auntie, before you and Brother Xiaoguang came, we couldn't eat meat for three to five days."
Lei Xiaosan nodded desperately to prove that what his mother said was true.
"How could that be? Everyone living in our courtyard is at least a battalion commander, and they all have guards. Although it's impossible for everyone to be as good at hunting as Xiaoguang, at least they can catch pheasants and rabbits!"
Su Hong didn't dare to respond at all. It turned out that a group of leaders of such high ranks lived such a hard life, which was not even as good as the life of an ordinary person like her at home.
Over the past year, thanks to Zhang Shuguang, Su Hong has never worried about food, clothing, housing and transportation. The happy days have made her forget her past hardships.
"I'm a guard, not a leader's servant. A guard's job is to ensure the leader's safety and convey his orders.
They have their own tasks every day, so how can they go into the mountains every day? Wouldn't that be a mess?"
Zhang Xiangnan already believed what Lei Xiaosan said.
With so many people coming to give gifts, I guess the child is really craving for meat.
"Big sister, this is the gift list for everyone. Please put it away. If there is anything happening in their family in the future, you will have an idea of how to return the gifts."
Because Yan Xiaoyu was familiar with the military families, when everyone came to give gifts, Yan Xiaoyu spontaneously acted as the accountant.
"Okay, thank you, sister-in-law."
Su Hong took the gift list and said gratefully.
"What kind of relationship do we have? You're welcome. I've eaten more meat in the past half month than I did in the whole year, and I haven't even said thank you.
Is there anything else you need to do? Let's finish it quickly while Sister Suhua and I are here so we don't have to rush tomorrow."
Yan Xiaoyu is a straightforward person. She can be open and honest with people with bad tempers, but she won't say a word to people she looks down on.
"Sister-in-law, you just need to rest. Platoon Leader Hu and Xiao Li have already sent all the game to the kitchen. We don't have a pot big enough for so much meat.
Today is fine, just prepare for the feast tomorrow."
For the following time, the adults chatted in the house and the children played in the yard, waiting until Hu Jianpeng and Li Lixin returned from the military base.
As the sun set, Li Lixin and Hu Jianpeng rushed back from the base, carrying a skinned rabbit and two plucked pheasants in their hands.
"Captain, the beef and bear meat are already in the pot, and the bear paws are already being marinated. Squad Leader Hong said the bear paws might not be ready by noon tomorrow."
As soon as he saw Zhang Xiangnan, Li Lixin reported to his leader.
"It's okay. I wasn't planning on using bear paws anyway. Sun bear paws don't have as much meat as pig's trotters, so they're not very interesting to eat."
When he went home to visit his family, thanks to his son, Zhang Xiangnan had the chance to eat real bear paws.
"Sister-in-law, Jianpeng is back, so our family will go back first. We will come to help early tomorrow morning."
Seeing her husband coming back, Chen Suhua was very tactful and wanted to take the child home.
"Sister, it's almost time for dinner. Why are you going back now? Eat at home today and then go back."
Su Hong quickly grabbed Chen Suhua's arm.
"Sister-in-law, no, we are a family of five and we can't cause trouble for you.
There is ready-made food and wild vegetables and mushrooms at home, and Da Mao and Er Mao can help with the fire, so cooking is very quick."
Chen Suhua is a grateful person. She believes that the team leader and his family have done them a great favor, and she has always wanted to find an opportunity to repay them.
I know my family's situation well, and it's unrealistic to repay him financially. Besides, Captain Zhang's family doesn't need that.
If I want to repay the kindness of Captain Zhang and his family, I can only start from other aspects.
The last time I came here, I saw Panpan's little mousedeer was held in a bamboo basket. Chen Suhua had just learned bamboo craftsmanship from her father and brother.
After returning home, Chen Suhua asked Hu Jianpeng to take time to cut bamboo and carefully weave an exquisite bamboo cage.
Sure enough, Captain Zhang and his family liked it very much, which made Chen Suhua very happy.
I came here today to deliver a bamboo basket, and happened to meet Zhang Shuguang getting engaged tomorrow.
Chen Suhua did not rush to leave, but was busy running around with Hu Jianpeng, doing things within her ability, and also presented a gift.
Now that she was done with her work, Chen Suhua wanted to take the children home and didn't want to trouble her sister-in-law Su Hong for dinner.
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