Chapter 43 p1
Ye Qingzhi didn’t expect that the person she had just talked about yesterday would arrive at the base today.
Li Yang was completely different from what she had imagined. She had a neat short haircut, wheat-colored skin, and a determined gaze—a truly heroic and valiant woman.
With just one look, Ye Qingzhi could be sure that she was definitely not the kind of person who would engage in conspiracies and schemes behind the scenes.
“Old He, we finally meet again. It’s been four or five years, right?” Li Jiang and He Qiming hugged and patted each other on the back, their expressions very emotional.
“Four and a half years. How’s your body? Are your injuries all healed?” He Qiming asked, one hand on Li Jiang’s shoulder, looking him up and down.
The two of them had been in the same new recruit company, and later they were assigned to the same place, training and fighting together. Later, He Qiming became a company commander, and Li Jiang became a deputy company commander. They were truly brothers who had been through life and death.
After He Qiming was transferred here, Li Jiang had also wanted to be transferred, but the leader at the time felt that he had already let go of He Qiming and didn’t want to let go of Li Jiang as well.
Last year, he finally relented, but Li Jiang was injured on a mission and lay in the hospital for half a month, and then recuperated at home for half a year. You could see how serious the injury was.
“It’s fine, I’m long since healed,” Li Jiang said, patting his chest with a thud.
His luck was good. He had not been injured in a vital spot, nor was he disabled. His recovery was also good, so he was able to return to the army and become a battalion commander.
“It’s good that you’re fine,” He Qiming said, patting his arm. “There’s a very skilled old doctor here. I’ll take you to see him later, and you can drink some Chinese medicine to recuperate.”
“Really?” Li Jiang’s wife, Gu Yao, walked over. “Brother He, long time no see.”
Li Jiang was the same age as He Qiming, and a few months older. But Li Jiang had gotten married early. His older son was the same age as He Jingyan, and his younger daughter was five this year.
When he got married, He Qiming had even attended his wedding, so he also knew Gu Yao.
“Long time no see,” He Qiming said with a smile, pulling Ye Qingzhi to his side. “This is my wife, Ye Qingzhi. Qingzhi, this is my brother who has been through life and death, Li Jiang. His wife, Gu Yao, and that’s his younger sister, Li Yang.”
“Hello,” Ye Qingzhi said with a smile.
Unlike Li Yang, Gu Yao had pretty features, a full figure, and spoke in a soft and gentle voice. You could tell at a glance that she was a very gentle woman.
As Ye Qingzhi was looking at them, they were also sizing up Ye Qingzhi.
A face like a peach blossom, skin like congealed fat, a slender figure—a very young and beautiful woman. This was their first impression of Ye Qingzhi.
After a few simple words, they found that she spoke appropriately, was confident and generous, not at all like the uncultured, unrefined country widow Cao Liyan had described.
It was clear that Cao Liyan was jealous and had deliberately vilified Ye Qingzhi. It seemed that in the few years they hadn’t seen each other, this little sister Cao Liyan had changed a lot. It was better to have less contact with her in the future.
“Sister-in-law’s clothes are so beautiful. What kind of fur and cloth are they made of?” Gu Yao had already noticed the clothes Ye Qingzhi was wearing.
“The outside is just ordinary floral cloth, and the inside is rabbit fur. It was made at Master Wang’s in town. It just so happens that Qiming and the others have been hunting in the mountains recently. You can have your Li Jiang go and catch a few more rabbits and make a similar coat for you,” Ye Qingzhi said, unbuttoning a button to show her the rabbit fur inside.
Gu Yao gently touched it. Seeing that there were also buttons on the inside, she asked in surprise, “Can it be worn inside out?”
“Yes, I told Master Wang at the time that I wanted it to be reversible. I also have one made of wolf skin, which is also beautiful,” Ye Qingzhi said with a smile.
The coat she had made was similar to the new Chinese style of a later generation. Not only did Gu Yao like it, but Yang Xiaorou and Bai Xue also liked it. The two of them had already taken their leather to Master Wang to have it custom-made. She believed they would be able to wear it soon.
“I saw a piece of red floral cloth at Master Wang’s last time. It’s too bright for us to wear, but it’s just right for a young girl. After your house is tidied up, let’s go to the town to find Master Wang and get that piece of red floral cloth,” Ye Qingzhi said, her eyes lighting up when she saw Gu Yao’s and Li Yang’s daughters.
She still had a few pairs of fur ball hair clips at home. She couldn’t wear them anymore, so she could just give them to these two little girls.
“In a few days. Let Li Jiang hunt first. Otherwise, a clever housewife can’t cook without rice,” Gu Yao said with a smile. “Li Jiang, you have to work hard. Yangyang and I are waiting for your rabbit skins to make clothes.”
“I don’t need one,” Li Yang said. She didn’t really like this kind of clothing. It felt inconvenient to do things.
“It’s so cold in the Northwest. How can you stand it without a leather coat? If you don’t like this style, you can choose another one,” Gu Yao said. How could she not know her sister-in-law? She knew that she found this kind of clothing cumbersome, so she could also have a light one made.
Beside her, Ye Qingzhi probably also guessed why Li Yang had refused and said, “You can make a vest. It’s warm and doesn’t get in the way.”
The few women were chatting happily, and the children were already playing together. He Qiming and Li Jiang saw this and smiled at each other.
The house assigned to them had already been cleaned by the service squad, but they had to get their own cooking utensils. According to Li Jiang, it was fine to eat at the canteen for a few days. Of course, He Qiming could not agree. Never mind other things, they had to have lunch at their house today.
Ye Qingzhi quickly thought about what she had at home. She could stew a rabbit, and there was also beef and mutton.
A pot of rabbit was good. One rabbit, with potatoes, cabbage, vermicelli, and various dried vegetables, would be enough for everyone.
Then there would be scrambled eggs with onions, stir-fried beef with green onions, shredded potatoes, and a basin of spicy cabbage. It wouldn’t be too bad.
“Yes, why go to the canteen? I’ll go and cook now. You can just tidy up a bit and come over. You must come, or I’ll be angry,” Ye Qingzhi said with a smile.
When she left, she saw that the children were playing happily here, so she didn’t call them. She told He Qiming and then went back to cook.
Li Jiang’s house was not far from hers. Just a turn, and she was there. Ye Qingzhi was just opening the door when she saw Yang Xiaorou come to find her.
“Qingzhi, is the new battalion commander very familiar with your Old He?” Yang Xiaorou asked.
“Yes, they were in the same squad in the new recruit company, and later in the same company,” Ye Qingzhi said, opening the door and first lighting the stove. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just saw that you seem to be very familiar,” Yang Xiaorou said, leaning over and whispering, “Which of the two is the Sister Yangyang Cao Liyan was talking about?”
She knew she had come to find her for this. Ye Qingzhi shot her a sideways glance. “The one with the short hair.”
Yang Xiaorou’s eyes widened. Such a heroic and valiant woman did not seem like the kind of person who would engage in petty schemes behind the scenes, let alone someone who would break up a family.
Seeing her expression, Ye Qingzhi knew what she was thinking, because she herself had just thought the same.
“Her parents were revolutionary martyrs, and her husband sacrificed himself in a mission two years ago. He was also a martyr. When he sacrificed himself, Li Yang was three months pregnant. Li Yang raised her daughter alone and gave birth to this posthumous child. Cao Liyan should not have used Li Yang as a shield,” Ye Qingzhi said, a little angry.
Although she had not known Li Yang for long, Ye Qingzhi could see that she was a very frank woman.
Yang Xiaorou frowned. “Her parents and husband were both martyrs. For Cao Liyan to use her as a shield is a bit out of line.”
As Ye Qingzhi and Yang Xiaorou were talking, their hands did not stop. They skillfully washed the rice and cooked it, then went to the back door to get a frozen rabbit and placed it by the stove to slowly thaw.
While it was thawing, she started to prepare the side dishes and other dishes.
“Oh, you’re having rabbit for lunch?” Yang Xiaorou teased.
“It’s their first day here, and they don’t have any cooking utensils. You don’t have to cook for lunch either. Just call Old Shen and Haohao to come and eat at my place,” Ye Qingzhi said, taking an apple, cutting it in half, and handing half to Yang Xiaorou.
“Don’t. Your Old He and his comrade haven’t seen each other for many years. They must have a lot to talk about. We won’t get in the way,” Yang Xiaorou said, taking the apple and taking a bite, hissing. “It’s so cold, but it’s sweeter after it’s been left out. It’s getting late. I’ll go back and cook first.”
Not long after Yang Xiaorou left, Gu Yao and Li Yang came in one after the other.
“Why are you here? Are your things packed?” Ye Qingzhi asked, looking at them in confusion.
Although they didn’t have as much as she had brought, it was still a lot. After all, they also had four children, and just the children’s things were a lot.
Ye Qingzhi had been thinking that after they had packed their luggage, she would have just finished cooking. She hadn’t expected them to come over directly.
“With Li Jiang here, he’ll pack,” Gu Yao said, directly taking a stool and sitting opposite Ye Qingzhi, picking some green onions.
Seeing that Ye Qingzhi was peeling potatoes and that her older sister-in-law was picking green onions, Li Yang looked around. It seemed there was nothing for her to do. She simply sat behind the stove and started the fire.
“No need for you. I can do it myself,” Ye Qingzhi quickly stopped them.
“We’re used to working. We feel uncomfortable if you let us be idle. Besides, it’s not tiring, just picking some green onions,” Gu Yao said, her hands not stopping. From time to time, she would glance at Ye Qingzhi’s fair and tender face. “Sister-in-law, you look so young. How old are you this year?”
She and Li Yang had received a letter from Cao Liyan. They only knew that Ye Qingzhi was a widow with two children, but they didn’t know her age.
They had seen He Jingyan. Although they hadn’t seen the youngest, Yangyang, he looked six-tenths like He Qiming. You could tell at a glance that he was his son. So the other two must be the children Ye Qingzhi had brought from her ex-husband.
The older one looked about the same height as He Jingyan, and the younger one was a little shorter. She had just asked. The older one was seven, and the younger one was six. Ye Qingzhi looked so young, so she was curious about how old Ye Qingzhi was when she had children.
Could it be fourteen or fifteen? That would be a real sin.
“I’m twenty-five this year. I had children early,” Ye Qingzhi said with a smile.
Gu Yao felt her heart skip a beat. My god, she was so beautiful. He Qiming was really lucky.
Twenty-five? Then she had her child at eighteen. It’s fine, it’s fine. Many country women have children at this age.
“I really can’t tell. You look like a young girl in her early twenties, especially your figure. You don’t look like you’ve had children at all,” Gu Yao said, pinching her own belly with some envy.
Ye Qingzhi glanced at Gu Yao’s figure. She was definitely not fat. She was the more voluptuous type. Many women wanted to be like her and couldn’t.
“Your figure is so good. So many people are envious,” Ye Qingzhi said from the bottom of her heart.
Gu Yao could naturally tell that she was being sincere, and the smile on her face became even brighter. “Sister-in-law, is your hometown the same as Brother He’s? Are you used to the Northwest? As soon as I got off the car, I felt it was very dry here. And the wind, my face feels like it’s about to crack.”
“I wasn’t used to it when I first came either. You’ll get used to it slowly. Do you have any vanishing cream? If not, you can take a jar from me first. If you wash your face here and don’t apply something, it will crack in a few days,” Ye Qingzhi said, sharing her experience.
Ye Qingzhi’s skin was considered good, but she still felt it was dry here, let alone others.
Gu Yao waved her hand. She had brought face cream. As for Li Yang, she wouldn’t apply it even if she gave it to her. Otherwise, her skin wouldn’t be tanned to a wheat color.
“Is there anything else I can help with?” Gu Yao asked, looking around.
“No need. You and Li Yang can go to the living room to warm yourselves by the fire. I’ll be done here soon. I haven’t prepared many dishes, just some home-cooked food. I hope you don’t mind later,” Ye Qingzhi said with a smile.
She really didn’t need their help, but Gu Yao couldn’t sit still. She picked up a cutting board and a knife and started to chop the green onions, ginger, and garlic, and then the potatoes Ye Qingzhi had just peeled.
Seeing this, Ye Qingzhi no longer stopped her. “Then thank you for your help, Sister-in-law. Please cut another plate of shredded potatoes.”
Gu Yao immediately nodded. “Alright. What’s there to thank? We’re all family.”
Seeing that the beef was not yet thawed, Ye Qingzhi changed the water and soaked it.
“Is this beef?” Gu Yao asked curiously.
“Yes, it’s wild yak that Qiming and the others hunted in the mountains. There’s also rabbit and mutton. We’re having rabbit for lunch today. Mutton doesn’t cook as quickly. We can have mutton for dinner,” Ye Qingzhi said. She planned to take out a piece of mutton to thaw after lunch and then stew it early.