The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chatted and laughed all the way back home. Just as they put the vegetables in the kitchen, Jiang Yaping came over with a wooden bucket and brought some wild vegetables.
"Aunt Zhou, Linglong, we just went for a walk on the slopes and picked up some shepherd's purse. We divided some among the families, and we'll give you some to try too."
"Thank you, sister-in-law."
Gong Linglong quickly accepted it and moved a stool to invite her to sit down, "Sister-in-law, sit down."
"I don't want to sit anymore. We put traps in the river and every morning we make an appointment to go together to catch some small fish and shrimps to eat. They are waiting for me in front. I'm leaving first." Jiang Yaping is a straightforward person. After she finished speaking, she hurried away with the bucket.
Seeing that the shepherd's purse was very tender, Zhou Lanqin said to her, "Linglong, how about we make some shepherd's purse dumplings for lunch?"
"Okay, chop some meat and mix it in." Gong Linglong also wanted to eat it.
While the mother-in-law was picking wild vegetables in the kitchen, Gong Linglong washed and hung the clothes, and brushed and hung Lu Jingchuan's shoes. After she was done, she went back to her room to take out a book to read.
Zhou Lanqin finished wrapping the dumplings and came out to see her sitting on the sofa reading a book. She poured her a cup of hot tea and asked, "Linglong, what book are you reading?"
"Mom, I'm reading a basic medicine book." Gong Linglong flipped the cover and showed it to her.
Zhou Lanqin sat down beside her and asked with a smile, "Linglong, are you learning medical knowledge on your own? Don't you need a teacher?"
"This book introduces common Chinese medicinal herbs. The content is easy to understand. I can understand it. If I don't understand something, I can ask my mother."
Since she bought the book, she has been teaching herself. She has a good memory and does not need her mother to test her. She spends time studying and reviewing every day in a very disciplined manner.
"My mother-in-law knows medical knowledge?" Zhou Lanqin was a little surprised.
Gong Linglong nodded, thinking that her mother-in-law was a very sensible person, and took the initiative to tell her: "My mother is a college graduate from the National Beijing Medical College."
Zhou Lanqin's face was filled with shock. A series of questions rushed to her lips, but when she met her complicated eyes, all the words were swallowed back in her stomach, and finally turned into one sentence: "My mother-in-law has had a rough life. She is a miserable person."
Then he asked her, "Linglong, do you want to study medicine?"
"Mom, I don't have any specific plans yet. I'm currently studying on my own, hoping to learn more about medicine. Not only can I cure illnesses and save lives, but if I catch a cold and get sick, I can get some Chinese herbal medicine to drink, which can also save me money on medical treatment and medicine."
Zhou Lanqin listened to her words, but her mind was thinking about other things. She asked her again: "Linglong, I heard that you went to high school. How are your grades?"
"My academic performance is pretty good, I'm number one in the grade."
The original owner studied very hard and was always the top student in the class since he was a child. Of course, this was also thanks to his mother's careful teaching.
Zhou Lanqin pondered for a moment, then said to her earnestly, "Linglong, when you have time, review your high school textbooks. Don't forget what you've learned. Perhaps you'll have another opportunity in the near future."
Gong Linglong knows that the college entrance examination will be resumed next year. Is her mother-in-law sending her a signal now?
Seeing she remained silent, Zhou Lanqin relayed some news: "There have been some policy changes this year. Many leaders have suggested reinstating the college entrance examination. Some professors and scholars have been rehabilitated, but we'll have to wait for the final decision. If you're thinking of applying to university, start preparing early."
"Mom, I understand." Gong Linglong smiled when she heard that.
Zhou Lanqin didn't want to talk too much about the policy issues, so she stood up and said, "You can read a book. I won't disturb you anymore. I'm going to visit the neighbor next door."
She was out for only four or five minutes when she came back, pushed the door open and said, "Linglong, Yaping and the others next door have a lot of small fish and shrimp. I think their homemade cages are pretty good. They can make a bowl or two of food every day, and they can smoke the leftovers for winter. Come over and take a look at their cages and see if you want to get a few too. If you do, ask Jingyang to get you three or five this afternoon."
"Okay, I'll go take a look."
Gong Linglong put the book back into the room and hurried out with her.
The sisters-in-law brought stools and sat in a circle to clean up the small fish and shrimps. There were quite a few in each basin, and everyone was squeezing out the fish's internal organs. The older and more sensible children were also helping.
"Wow, that's a lot."
Gong Linglong saw that each of their families had similar harvests, and each had a large bowl of food. She smiled and said, "Sisters-in-law, these small fish and shrimp are a delicious dish, even better than meat."
"Haha, Linglong, how about I exchange this basin of fish for a pound of meat from you?" said Liao Qiuhua, the wife of a battalion commander, with a smile.
"A basin of fish worth only five cents, and you want to exchange it for a pound of meat, Liao Qiuhua, can you make your wishful thinking a little louder?"
Yu Ximei teased her, but she knew she was joking. She smiled and said to Gong Linglong, "Linglong, go get a bowl and fill it up before you eat."
"Sister-in-law, you are so kind. I won't be polite to you." Gong Linglong said and ran back.
When she came over again, she was holding an empty bowl and a small jar.
Her sisters-in-law brought her wild vegetables and small fish and shrimps early in the morning. She couldn't just take in without giving anything out. People should reciprocate with each other, so she should also give her something practical in return.
"My dear sisters-in-law, this is the chopped chili peppers we brought from our hometown. My mother made them herself. You can all take some back with you."
The chopped peppers in the small jar have been pickled, and the color is bright red and attractive. Perhaps because they are produced in the space, the pepper aroma is particularly strong. The fragrance hits your nose as soon as you open the lid.
"Oh my, the chopped peppers are well done."
"The color of this chopped pepper is amazing, and it's perfect for stir-frying fish and shrimp. Sister Linglong, I won't be polite to you either, I want a bowl."
Gong Linglong smiled and said, "Sister-in-law Yu, bring a big bowl and a spoon."
Each family got a bowl. My sister-in-law, who is not afraid of spicy food, scooped some directly with a spoon and ate it. After tasting it, she kept praising it: "It's delicious. The chopped pepper tastes authentic and is better than what I made in the summer."
There was still some left in the jar, so Gong Linglong put the lid back on and said to them with a smile, "Put it in a glass canning jar later, seal it tightly, and it can be kept for a long time."
Yu Ximei nodded in response, pointing to the small basin on the ground and said to her, "Linglong, take all these fish and shrimp back home to eat. We catch them in the river every day, and every family has some in stock. The men and children at home are tired of eating them now."
The sisters-in-law were generous and magnanimous, and Gong Linglong was not pretentious. She accepted the gifts generously and squatted down to help them.
Zhou Lanqin was also helping them. Seeing that her daughter-in-law had established good relationships with the military families in just two days, and was very good at interpersonal relationships and understood the ways of the world, she smiled with satisfaction and could return to Beijing with peace of mind.
Lu Jingyang read in the study for two hours. When he came out, his mother assigned him some work. He hurried to help his sister-in-law prepare the small fish cage and fishing rod.
The brother-in-law helped silently while Gong Linglong prepared a sumptuous lunch in the kitchen. She took care of all the dishes herself and only asked her mother-in-law to help her add firewood to the fire.
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