Chapter 37
The leather coats were all finished. Ye Qingzhi tried one on; it fit perfectly. As for the children’s clothes, the old master had deliberately made them half a size larger.
“Children grow fast. They’ll be fine to wear until next April. By next winter, they might be a little tight. You can just bring them over to add some leather then,” Master Wang said with a chuckle, handing the clothes to He Qiming.
Such good leather, of course, couldn’t be put away just because it was small. Usually, they would add more leather and alter it to be larger to continue wearing.
“Alright, thank you, Master Wang. How much is it in total?” Besides the labor fee, there was also the silver Ye Qingzhi had used for her earrings.
She opened the cloth bag. Inside were several fur scrunchies and claw clips, and even fur ball hair clips, in two colors: gray wolf fur and white rabbit fur. The stud earrings were also very delicate and beautiful.
He Qiming packed the clothes, peeked over, and couldn’t help but smile. “Do you like these?”
Ye Qingzhi nodded. “I do. It’s a pity our family is full of smelly boys. If I had a daughter, I’d braid her hair and put these fluffy little hair clips on her. It would be so cute.”
Hearing Ye Qingzhi’s description, He Qiming thought for a moment. If he had a daughter who looked like her or like him, she would indeed be very cute.
Ye Qingzhi picked up a pair of tassel earrings and held them up, turning to ask He Qiming, “Do they look good?”
He Qiming nodded. “They do.”
Ye Qingzhi happily put them away. Although she couldn’t wear them out, she could wear them at home for fun.
Seeing how much she liked them, He Qiming was also happy.
When they arrived at the tofu stall, Master Liu, the tofu seller, was packing up.
“Master Liu, do you remember me? I ordered a block of tofu from you last time and asked you to help me make it into frozen tofu,” Ye Qingzhi said, walking over.
“I remember. The military wife with the surname Ye, right? I was just about to have someone take it to you. The things are in the backyard. I’ll go get them now,” Master Liu said, quickly packing up and running in to get the frozen tofu.
A full basin, it filled more than half the basket. It was golden yellow and looked very appetizing.
It was a rare trip to the town, and mainly because He Qiming was here as a laborer, Ye Qingzhi simply bought all the jars and cans she needed for the house.
Two one-meter-tall pickle jars, one for pickling vegetables and one for making various kinds of kimchi. She also bought a few smaller jars for chili sauce, meat sauce, and so on.
He Qiming made three trips to move all the things to the car. Seeing Ye Qingzhi’s still-unsatisfied look, he asked with a smile, “Is there anything else you want to buy?”
“Coarse salt, ginger, and garlic. I don’t know where to buy eggs. The children still need to eat more eggs to be healthy,” Ye Qingzhi said, counting on her fingers. There were many things to buy, but she didn’t know if she could get them.
Especially eggs. The weather was cold, and the chickens didn’t like to lay eggs. You couldn’t necessarily buy them even if you had money.
After a walk around, she had bought the coarse salt, five catties each of ginger and garlic, and also some peppercorns, but she hadn’t seen any eggs.
“I’ll ask Yang Xiaorou later. She might know where to buy them,” He Qiming said. He had always eaten at the canteen before and had never really paid attention to these things.
As they were preparing to go back, Ye Qingzhi saw someone selling green onions and onions. She bought ten catties of each. These wouldn’t go bad in the cellar and would be an extra vegetable.
“Wife, do you want some jujubes?” He Qiming asked, seeing the fresh jujubes and guessing that Ye Qingzhi liked them.
“Yes, yes! I also want these pears,” Ye Qingzhi said, her eyes lighting up.
Ye Qingzhi’s favorite fruits were bayberries and red jujubes. The bayberry season was still early, and after going to the Northwest, she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to eat them in the future. But it was also good to be able to eat red jujubes.
She bought all the red jujubes and pears. After making sure she hadn’t missed anything, the two of them returned to where Wang Heng had parked the car.
“Regiment Commander, Sister-in-law.” Wang Heng skillfully took the things and stuffed them into the trunk, which was already full of the things Ye Qingzhi had bought.
“Thank you. Here, have some jujubes,” Ye Qingzhi said, grabbing a handful of jujubes and handing them to Wang Heng. She also put two pears on the driver’s seat.
“This… Sister-in-law, you’re too kind,” Wang Heng said, taking the things with embarrassment.
After waiting for more than ten minutes, they finally saw Yang Xiaorou come back with a basket on her back.
The basket seemed to be weighing down her shoulders. Could it be that she had bought the pork fat?
Ye Qingzhi quickly went over and asked in a low voice, “Did you get it?”
“I asked someone to save it for me. Twelve catties in total. I’ll give you three,” Yang Xiaorou said. Worried that Ye Qingzhi would think it was too little, she quickly explained, “I also have to give some to Bai Xue and Sister Shuhua. By the way, have you met Sister Shuhua?”
“Yes. Last time you went to get the yak meat, I didn’t see you. I was worried something had happened to you, so I went to see you and chatted with Sister Shuhua for a few sentences,” Ye Qingzhi said. How could she think it was too little? She would be happy to get even one catty.
The trunk was already full. Yang Xiaorou glanced at it and exclaimed, “You bought so much?”
“My children and I just arrived. We’re lacking everything,” Ye Qingzhi said, sitting down. Smelling the lard in the car, she swallowed uncomfortably. “The smell in the car is too strong. I’m already not good with cars, so I won’t talk to you.”
She covered her nose and closed her eyes. The return journey was particularly difficult. When they finally arrived at the family compound, Ye Qingzhi immediately got out of the car and found a corner to dry heave.
“Wife, are you alright?” He Qiming gently patted Ye Qingzhi’s back. When she had calmed down, he immediately handed her the canteen.
“I’m fine,” Ye Qingzhi said. She was the type who would feel better after getting out of the car and could recover quickly.
After drinking a few sips of warm water, Ye Qingzhi was almost fine. She wanted to move the things with He Qiming but was stopped by him and the children.
“There’s not much. You go back to the room and rest,” He Qiming said, also shooing the few children back into the house.
Yang Xiaorou followed them into the house and said with a smile, “Soldiers are so diligent, aren’t they?”
Ye Qingzhi nodded with a smile, took the pork fat, and quickly gave her the money.
“Hey, you haven’t told me about Cao Liyan yet. Did she say something to you?” Yang Xiaorou had been thinking about this all morning. If she didn’t get it straight, she wouldn’t be able to enjoy her lunch.
If she hadn’t asked, Ye Qingzhi would have forgotten about it. Seeing the few children peeking, she pulled Yang Xiaorou into the study.
“It all started when Jingyan got sick,” Ye Qingzhi said, recounting the story of meeting Cao Liya, Cao Liyan, and Ye Qiao. “Cao Liyan was being sarcastic to me for no reason. Of course, I was curious, so I asked you about it.”
Yang Xiaorou nodded in understanding. The case was solved. It was just that Cao Liyan was unwilling that He Qiming had married Ye Qingzhi, so when she saw her, she was unhappy and couldn’t help but say a few sarcastic words.
Thinking of how Ye Qingzhi had rebuffed Cao Liyan, Yang Xiaorou burst into laughter. Cao Liyan’s face must have been a sight to see at that time.
“You’re really something. I’ll learn from you next time,” Yang Xiaorou said, satisfied after learning the reason, and prepared to leave.
Ye Qingzhi walked her out and also asked where she could buy eggs.
“Meiduo’s family raises a lot of chickens. If you want, you can buy from her. Fifty for fifty cents,” Yang Xiaorou said immediately.
From what Yang Xiaorou said, it seemed that Meiduo’s family had a lot of eggs, and you could buy as many as you wanted. Ye Qingzhi immediately asked for a hundred. Her family had many children, and they went through them quickly.
“Alright. I’ll have someone send a message. They can be delivered to you tomorrow,” Yang Xiaorou said, looking around. She leaned over to Ye Qingzhi’s ear and whispered, “Do you want chickens? Meiduo is planning to slaughter a few old hens that don’t lay eggs. If you want, I’ll have her save a few for you.”
“I do! How much is one? How many can I get?” Ye Qingzhi immediately nodded.
“Three yuan and fifty cents each. I’m not sure about the exact number, but two or three should be no problem,” Yang Xiaorou said, glancing at Ye Qingzhi. If you didn’t say it, you really couldn’t tell that Ye Qingzhi was a country wife.
It wasn’t that she looked down on country wives, but their upbringing and lifestyles were completely different.
For example, when buying beef, they would buy as much as they could. In any case, they couldn’t deprive themselves. But it was different for the military wives from the countryside. They were not willing to spend at all. They felt that yak meat was more expensive than pork and had no fat, so it was not as cost-effective as buying pork.
Another example was the jujubes and pears Ye Qingzhi had bought today. Other country wives would definitely not buy them. They might buy a few eggs for their children to eat, but they would not be willing to buy these old hens either.
“What’s wrong?” Ye Qingzhi asked, seeing Yang Xiaorou looking at her.
“Nothing. I just think you’re quite willing to spend,” she said. Not just on food, but also on clothes. Look at her four children, with fur hats, leather boots, and brand new cotton-padded jackets. It seemed they also had leather coats made. They were no worse than the children raised by city wives.
Especially since the few children were fair and clean, and spoke politely. Not like the children of country wives, whose faces were red and rough from the cold, and who always had a runny nose.
Ye Qingzhi’s heart skipped a beat. Had she been too unrestrained recently and aroused suspicion?
“Not at all. I’m doing it all for the few children. Just look at Jingyan. He’s the same age as your Haohao, but he’s a whole head shorter. I also heard that drinking goat’s milk and eating eggs can make you grow taller. Not just Jingyan, the other three children are also skinny. They all need more nourishment,” Ye Qingzhi said with a smile, explaining.
Thinking of the four children, they were indeed not as strong as her Haohao. Yang Xiaorou nodded and said, “They should be properly nourished.”
Yang Xiaorou felt that she understood Ye Qingzhi’s good intentions. With He Jingyan’s background, and she being both a stepmother and an adoptive mother, she had to be more careful.
Seeing that Yang Xiaorou was not suspicious, Ye Qingzhi breathed a sigh of relief. She turned around and saw He Qiming. Her heart skipped a beat. Was he also suspicious?
But He Qiming took Ye Qingzhi’s hand and said in a gentle voice, “Don’t just think of the children. You should also take good care of yourself. Didn’t Old Hu say that your body is severely depleted?”
Ye Qingzhi nodded. “I know. That’s why when the goat’s milk is delivered, I drink it with the children.”
As for the eggs, she had originally thought that if they were hard to buy, she would of course give them to the children first. But now that she could buy them, she and He Qiming would also eat them together.
While it was still early before lunch, Ye Qingzhi told He Qiming, and the two of them took He Jingyan to Old Hu for a pulse check.
“Old Hu, is my child alright? Does he need to take some Chinese medicine to condition his body?” Ye Qingzhi asked with concern.
After taking his pulse, Dr. Hu looked He Jingyan up and down. “So young, yet you’re overthinking things?”
“Overthinking?” Ye Qingzhi looked at He Jingyan in surprise.
Then she thought of how He Jingyan had become even more silent after He Qiming had gone on a mission. And then she thought of how his father had died on a mission. So this child was scared?
“It’s nothing serious. Just eat well and sleep well. Read more books when you have time, and don’t overthink things,” Old Hu said, taking a book on Chinese history from a drawer and handing it to He Jingyan.
He knew a little about this child’s background. The child of a martyr. He would take care of him as much as he could.
“Thank you, Old Hu,” He Qiming said, patting He Jingyan’s back. “Hurry up and thank Grandpa Hu.”
“Thank you, Grandpa Hu,” He Jingyan said respectfully, taking the book.
After taking He Jingyan’s pulse, Old Hu took Ye Qingzhi’s pulse again and nodded. “Not bad. I’ll adjust the prescription and give you another seven days of medicine. After you’ve finished it, come back for another pulse check.”
“Old Hu, the herbs you wrote down last time, I’ve found most of them, but there are two that are harder to find. Do you have any connections?” He Qiming asked, helping Ye Qingzhi to her feet.
Old Hu glanced at him, asked for the names of the herbs, pondered for a moment, and then told He Qiming an address. That person used to be an herb merchant and had these two herbs. He just didn’t know if he was still there now.
A merchant? Thinking of the situation outside, both Ye Qingzhi and He Qiming felt it was unlikely.
In any case, at least they had a lead. They would ask someone to inquire first.
On the way back, the two of them did not have a heart-to-heart talk with He Jingyan. They just chatted casually, wherever the conversation led, as if they didn’t care about his diagnosis at all.
He Jingyan breathed a small sigh of relief. He had been afraid that his father and mother would ask him why he was overthinking things.
Back at home, He Qiming went to start the fire, and Ye Qingzhi cut the pork fat to render the lard. Before long, the room was filled with a fragrant smell.
It was a good thing the house was large here, and it was cold, so every family kept their doors and windows tightly shut. So no one noticed that Ye Qingzhi was often stir-frying meat.
Or perhaps they did, but the conditions in the family compound were better than in the countryside. They could eat meat once a week. Even if someone smelled the meat, they wouldn’t get to the bottom of it.
“Mama, it smells so good,” Yangyang said, standing next to Ye Qingzhi, tiptoeing to look into the pot.
Ye Qingzhi scooped a small bowl of lard residue, sprinkled it with salt, and had Yangyang take it out to share with his older brothers.
Looking at the cheering Yangyang, Ye Qingzhi’s eyes curved into a smile. When she was a child and her mother was rendering lard, she would also watch eagerly like this. Then her mother would scoop a bowl of lard residue for her and her brother to eat together.
When He Qiming looked up, he happened to see Ye Qingzhi’s happy smile. Hearing the laughter and noise from outside, his expression unconsciously softened.
“Is the fire this big alright?”
“It’s fine. No need to add more firewood. It’ll be done in a little while,” Ye Qingzhi said, stirring a few times with a spatula. She scooped out the lard residue and then scooped the oil into an oil jar.
She saved a small plate to stir-fry cabbage with later. The rest she sprinkled with a little salt, put in a jar, and sealed. It could be a snack for the children.
After rendering the lard and cooking the rice, Ye Qingzhi put two bowls of frozen tofu in a basket, preparing to go to Li Guifang’s and Li Jinfeng’s houses to return the favor.
These two were busy people now. Besides meal times, you couldn’t see them at all.
She first went to Li Guifang’s house. She happened to be cooking. Ye Qingzhi had her take out a clean, empty bowl. “I heard frozen tofu is delicious. I made a block.”
“Oh my, why are you being so polite? You should keep it for yourself. You have many children at home,” she said. Although she said that, her action of taking the bowl was not slow at all.
“It’s not much,” Ye Qingzhi said with a smile. After a few polite words, she took her leave.
Li Jinfeng was also cooking. Seeing Ye Qingzhi come over, she warmly welcomed her in.
“What a rare occasion. Why did you suddenly come to see me? Is something the matter?”
“The frozen tofu I ordered in town is ready. I heard it’s delicious. You should try it,” Ye Qingzhi said, taking an empty bowl herself and pouring it in. “How’s your work now?”
“Hey, don’t mention it. The factory leaders are biased. They give all the light work to the locals and all the dirty and tiring work to us military wives. Sister Guifang has already organized the other military wives to write a complaint letter. Hmph, we’re not to be trifled with,” Li Jinfeng said angrily.
“There’s such a thing?” Ye Qingzhi looked at her in surprise.
“They’re bullying us because we don’t understand,” Li Jinfeng pouted. She suddenly pulled Ye Qingzhi’s hand and asked, “Do you know about what’s going on with Regiment Commander Xu’s family?”
“What’s going on?” Ye Qingzhi was bewildered.
“I heard that Regiment Commander Xu and Bai Xue are having a conflict because she can’t have children, and they might even get a divorce. You’re in the family compound all day and you don’t know?” Li Jinfeng looked at Ye Qingzhi in shock.
Ye Qingzhi was even more shocked than Li Jinfeng. She went to the cotton factory to work every day. How did she still know what was going on in the family compound?