The threshing ground was packed with people and bustling with activity.
The projectionists had arrived and had eaten at the brigade leader's house. They were adjusting the machine with bamboo skewers in their mouths.
The area was surrounded by adults and children. These machines were something that not only children found fascinating, but even adults rarely saw them.
Li Xiyue and Huang Xinrui came together, each holding several packets of snacks, and started eating them before the movie even started.
Everyone from the educated youth settlement came, including my two injured cousins who, despite their disabilities, were all present.
Li Xiyue asked Zhou Yunxia, "Chen Yu hasn't come for several days. What's he busy with?"
“How would I know? You know him better than I do, Sister Xiyue,” Zhou Yunxia said.
Li Xiyue laughed, "I'm not as familiar with him as you are."
Since Zhou Yunxia's leg injury healed, Chen Yu hasn't stayed overnight at the educated youth settlement, but he would come over every few days. It seems like he hasn't seen her for a while now.
Could they have gone on a mission?
“Who knows him? I don’t even know him.” Zhou Yunxia said somewhat stubbornly, pulling Xu Shanshan along, “There are seats over there, let’s go sit down.”
Huang Xinrui whispered in Li Xiyue's ear, "I know, it seems the two of them had a fight, and Comrade Chen Yu left in anger."
"Why?" Li Xiyue asked curiously, taking a bite of the orchid root.
Huang Xinrui shook her head, "I don't know."
Li Xiyue didn't have a penchant for prying into other people's privacy, so she changed the subject and started talking about the movie.
Many people prepared snacks, such as roasted peanuts, melon seeds, broad beans, and soybeans. Some children held a few pieces of candy in their hands, which were left over from the New Year and were usually reluctant to eat, but their parents brought them out for today's movie screening.
"Yueyue, I have some fried soybeans here. I fried them myself, they're still hot, fragrant and crispy. I sprinkled them with salt and chili powder, they're delicious! Here, have a bag." Grandma Yu was already stuffing food into your hands as soon as she saw you.
People here like spicy food, so they put chili peppers in their dishes and sometimes sprinkle chili powder on their snacks.
Li Xiyue can eat spicy food, so after taking the package, she gave her a packet of orchid root.
"I'm too old to eat, you can keep it," Grandma Yu said, refusing to accept it.
Li Xiyue then gave some to Xu Lanlan and Hu Zi, who were sitting next to her, saying, "Then give some to Hu Zi and Lanlan."
The two children said thank you in unison, and then ran away.
Grandma Yu called out worriedly, "There are a lot of people today, don't go to dark places. Tiger, take your sister with you."
Sun Xia went back to her parents' home today and will stay there for one night before returning.
"Don't worry, Grandma." Tiger ran off into the distance, but his voice still echoed back.
Xu Guoqing appeared out of nowhere, his face full of obsequiousness, "My dear sister?"
"Help yourself with whatever you want to eat," Li Xiyue said, handing over the snacks she was holding.
Xu Guoqing took half a bag of soybeans, half a bag of orchid roots, and a handful of roasted peanuts. Before leaving, he gave her two roasted sweet potatoes.
"That brat, he traded two roasted sweet potatoes for so much stuff of mine," Li Xiyue said with a laugh.
Fang Yue'e arrived carrying Panpan. "Dr. Li, I have some dried meat here, I'll give you some."
"Give the dried meat to Xiao Panpan, and Auntie, have some orchid root," Li Xiyue said with a smile.
Making dried meat is difficult and uses a lot of meat, so only Xu Dashan, who loves his wife and children, is willing to make it. Other families wouldn't be so wasteful.
Fang Yue'e took a few orchid roots and stuffed a few pieces of dried meat into her hands, saying, "Let's take turns eating them."
Unable to refuse, Li Xiyue had no choice but to accept, and not seeing Xu Dashan, she asked, "Where is Uncle Dashan?"
“There are many people and things are chaotic today. The brigade leader is worried that something might happen, so he arranged for the militia to guard the village entrance,” Fang Yue’e said.
Li Xiyue secretly admired Xu Guoqiang, who was indeed a captain and militia commander, and was very vigilant.
But wouldn't that mean Chen Xiong's men wouldn't be able to get in?
"Dr. Li." Xu Jianmin arrived, supporting Gao Xiulan.
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