Chapter 43 p2
Ye Qingzhi skillfully chopped the rabbit meat, stir-fried it with various spices, then added water, potatoes, and dried vegetables, and let it simmer. When it was almost cooked, she would move the whole pot to the stove in the living room and continue to cook with vermicelli and cabbage. Just then, He Qiming and Li Jiang came back, talking and laughing. Ye Qingzhi peeked her head out.
“Where are the children?”
He Qiming and Li Jiang were clearly taken aback for a moment. Ye Qingzhi looked at them, speechless. These two unreliable people hadn’t even called the children back.
“I’ll go and call the children,” He Qiming said quickly.
“I’ll go with you,” Li Jiang said, giving Gu Yao a foolish smile and quickly running after He Qiming.
Gu Yao chuckled lightly, turned her head, and told Ye Qingzhi many of the foolish things He Qiming had done in the past.
For example, they were too hungry and had gone to the canteen to steal food, but had been caught by the head of the mess squad and had been punished by washing dishes for a month.
Another example was when she was four months pregnant with her first child and her belly had just started to move, Li Jiang had asked if it was her foot or her hand that was moving. He Qiming, who was next to them, had confidently said that it must be her foot, which had angered Gu Yao so much that she had said the child could already call him “Papa.”
“Really? Then the two of them are so funny,” Ye Qingzhi said. She hadn’t expected He Qiming to have such an unreliable side.
“It’s true,” Gu Yao nodded with certainty. “Brother He used to be very cheerful and would often talk and laugh with people. It was only after Jingyan’s father sacrificed himself that Brother He suddenly became very silent.”
Hearing this, the smiles on the few women’s faces slowly disappeared, especially Li Yang. Her husband had also sacrificed himself on a mission, just like He Jingyan’s biological father.
Just then, He Qiming and Li Jiang came back with the children. The house suddenly became lively, and the children’s laughter and noise dispelled the sadness among the few women in the kitchen.
“Mama, Big Brother Dajun is amazing! He can shoot birds with a slingshot!” Yangyang ran in and hugged Ye Qingzhi’s leg, saying excitedly.
“Wow, he’s that amazing?” Ye Qingzhi asked, looking at the sparkling eyes of Yangyang with a smile.
Yangyang nodded heavily. “Big Brother Dajun is just that amazing! Mama, I also want a slingshot.”
From the corner of her eye, Ye Qingzhi saw Ye Anmin peeking from the doorframe. She knew that the one who really wanted a slingshot was not Yangyang, but Ye Anjie.
Hmph, he doesn’t dare to come himself, so he incites his three-year-old brother to test the waters. How capable can he be?
Ye Qingzhi shot him a look. “You can have a slingshot, but we have to agree first. You can’t use it to shoot people, and you can’t just shoot randomly. You can only play with your brothers in an open space.”
Even if she didn’t agree, that little rascal Anjie would still make a slingshot. Instead of them playing secretly, it was better to set some rules. With Jingyan and Anmin watching, nothing major would happen.
“Thank you, Mama,” Yangyang said, his eyes lighting up. He let go of Ye Qingzhi’s leg and ran out, shouting, “Third brother, Mama agreed!”
Ye Anjie waved his hand in a hurry. He looked up and saw Ye Qingzhi looking at him with a half-smile. He gave an awkward smile, pulled He Jingyang, and ran out, saying as he ran, “Don’t call my name. Remember that next time.”
Seeing the interaction between the mother and son, Gu Yao and Li Yang knew that Ye Qingzhi was really good to the children. Otherwise, Yangyang would not be so affectionate with her.
Ye Qingzhi was beautiful, had a good personality, and was also quick and efficient. He Qiming had really found a treasure.
There was still one more dish, scrambled eggs with onions. Only then did Ye Qingzhi realize that there were not enough bowls at home. This could only be done by Gu Yao. She would go and borrow some bowls.
Li Jinfeng’s house was closer than Yang Xiaorou’s. Ye Qingzhi went to her house. When she arrived, they were just eating.
“Sister Jinfeng, can I borrow a few bowls?” Ye Qingzhi asked, holding a bowl of pot rabbit. “For the children to eat.”
“Oh my, we’re not strangers. Why are you being so polite?” Li Jinfeng shot Ye Qingzhi a sideways glance, feigning displeasure. She opened the cupboard and told Ye Qingzhi to take them herself.
“Just one comrade came, how can there not be enough bowls?” Li Jinfeng asked curiously.
“It’s mainly because there are many children. Our two families together have eight children,” Ye Qingzhi said, taking five bowls. “Sister Jinfeng, I’ll be going back now. I might have to return them to you tomorrow.”
“It’s fine. You can just use them,” Li Jinfeng said, waving her hand.
Back at home, the last dish was just ready. She called out, and everyone gathered around to eat.
There were not enough stools either. He Qiming was just about to go and borrow some when he was stopped by Li Jiang and the others. It was fine for the little ones to eat next to their mothers.
Li Jiang and Li Yang’s children were very well-behaved. You could tell that they really wanted to eat, but they could control their desires and only occasionally took a piece of meat.
If Ye Qingzhi remembered correctly, He Qiming’s original unit was in Nancheng. You couldn’t hunt there, and there were no herdsmen nearby to trade with. It was much harder to get meat than here.
She used a ladle to scoop a spoonful for each of the few children. Each spoonful had three pieces of meat, as well as potatoes, mushrooms, and frozen tofu. Then she gave each of them a chopstickful of beef.
“Hurry up and eat. Try my cooking. Is it more delicious than what your mother makes?” Ye Qingzhi said jokingly.
The few children looked at their mothers. Only after they had nodded did they lower their heads and start to eat.
“How can my cooking compare to Sister-in-law’s? If you didn’t know, you would think you were a chef at a state-run restaurant,” Gu Yao said, watching the children eat with relish. She suppressed the sourness in her eyes. The children had really suffered with them.
“Mama’s cooking is delicious,” Yangyang said. He didn’t know what a state-run restaurant was, but when he heard Ye Qingzhi ask if it was delicious, he immediately raised his hand like a little fan and said loudly.
Ye Qingzhi chuckled lightly, rubbed his head, and gave him a piece of rabbit meat. “If it’s delicious, eat more.”
Ever since they had arrived at the base, although they couldn’t have meat every meal, they had eggs and goat’s milk every day, and could also see minced meat. Especially these two days, He Qiming had gone hunting in the mountains, and they had already eaten several meals of meat, so He Jingyan and the others were not greedy for meat.
After eating, Ye Qingzhi tried to stop Gu Yao and Li Yang several times but couldn’t. The two of them helped her clean up the kitchen before they prepared to go back and pack their things.
“Wait a minute,” Ye Qingzhi called out to them. She took out two pairs of fur hair clips from the room and gave them to the two little girls. “Do you like them?”
“I do. Thank you, Auntie,” Li Xiao said, her eyes shining as she looked at Ye Qingzhi.
“These clips are so beautiful. Did you make them yourself?” Gu Yao asked, touching them.
“The tailor made them with the scraps,” Ye Qingzhi said. Seeing the two little girls eagerly put the hair clips on, her eyes curved. It would be nice to have a cute little daughter in the future.
Back at their own house, with no outsiders around, Gu Yao finally spoke up. “He Qiming’s new wife is really nice.”
Li Yang nodded. She had not seen the previous Sister-in-law He, but from He Qiming’s few words, she could tell that their relationship was not good.
This time it was different. Not only was she good-looking, but she also knew how to handle things. To have married such a wife, He Qiming was lucky.
“Yangyang, look at Ye Qingzhi. She’s also a widow and also has two children. Her life after remarrying is prosperous. You’re a junior high school student, and your looks… are not bad. It’s been more than two years since Aiguo died. You’re still young. You should find someone new,” Gu Yao said, looking Li Yang up and down.
She had pretty features, with a heroic air about her. It was just that her skin was a little dark. No, she had to get her sister-in-law’s skin back. Only then could she find a better man.
“I’m not in a hurry,” Li Yang said with a frown. She did not like the way her sister-in-law was sizing her up as if she were a commodity.
“You should be anxious. Time passes quickly. Look, it’s almost the New Year again. If you drag it out year after year, it will be hard for you to find someone when you’re older. If you had listened to me last year and written a letter to He Qiming, you two might have gotten together,” Gu Yao said with a face full of regret.
He Qiming had divorced last year. He was still a battalion commander at that time. Gu Yao had had the idea of setting him up with Li Yang, but Li Yang had said that He Qiming had just divorced and definitely did not want to talk about marriage, so she had decided to wait.
After the New Year, He Qiming had become a deputy regiment commander. She herself was also hesitant. A deputy regiment commander, how many young girls would be willing to marry him? Would he marry Li Yang, who had had two children?
With this hesitation, she had heard the news of his marriage. He had married a widow who also had two children, just like Li Yang.
Gu Yao’s intestines were green with regret at that time. A good match like He Qiming would be hard to find if she missed him.
“Sister-in-law, Brother He is already married. You shouldn’t say such things in the future,” Li Yang said seriously.
But Li Yang didn’t care. Her previous marriage had made her see the essence of marriage. Being married was not necessarily as free as being single. She now had a son and a daughter, so she didn’t have to worry about not having anyone to support her in her old age. Besides, she was strong and healthy. Was she afraid of starving to death?
“I’m just saying. Yangyang, if you don’t think for yourself, you should also think for your two children. A child can’t be without a mother, and likewise, can’t be without a father, especially a boy. Look at what Jingyan was like before. And now? With parents, although he still looks a little thin, his whole spirit is completely different,” Gu Yao said earnestly.
Li Yang thought of He Jingyan’s appearance. He was indeed spirited. But that was because he had met a good mother. If he had met a stepmother who was sweet on the outside but bitter on the inside, and two-faced, there would be a lot of hardship waiting for him.
So for the sake of her children, she had to be even more cautious.
“I know what you mean. I will consider it,” Li Yang said, not refuting her. Because if she did, there would be more words waiting for her.
Gu Yao was worried that Li Yang would overthink it and explained, “Sister-in-law has no other meaning. Your brother’s home is your home. You and Minmin and Haohao can stay for as long as you want. I’m just worried that it will be hard for you to find someone when you’re older.”
“I know, Sister-in-law. You don’t have to explain. I will really consider it seriously,” Li Yang said with a smile, packing her things and saying, “Sister-in-law, you should also go back to your room and pack. Otherwise, you won’t have a place to sleep at night.”
After Gu Yao left, the smile on Li Yang’s face slowly disappeared. She knew that her older sister-in-law meant well. She was not disgusted with them now, but after a long time, especially when Dajun and the others got older and needed their own rooms, her older sister-in-law would find them more and more of an eyesore.
Li Yang frowned. She had to find someone to ask around. Did the families here arrange jobs? If she had a job, she could find a way to move out. With the children’s subsidies, their life would not be too difficult.
Meanwhile, after they had left, Ye Qingzhi went to the backyard to get a piece of mutton, preparing to cut it and cook it later.
“Are you having mutton for dinner?” He Qiming asked, hugging Ye Qingzhi from behind.
“Yes. Are you going into the mountains tomorrow?” Ye Qingzhi asked, turning her head.
“I am. I’ll take Li Jiang with me then. Didn’t you say to have Li Jiang get some leather for Gu Yao and the others to make clothes?” He Qiming chuckled lightly.
Ye Qingzhi also chuckled lightly. “Gu Yao said that you were so hungry before that you went to the canteen to steal food, and then you were caught by the head of the mess squad and had to wash dishes for a month.”
“Li Jiang must have told her,” He Qiming said. He was not embarrassed at all. On the contrary, he felt that the memories of that time were very beautiful. “We were young then, still growing, and we lacked oil and water. Plus, the training was heavy. We were so hungry every night we couldn’t sleep.”
Ye Qingzhi looked at him in surprise. “Didn’t they say that people in the army don’t go hungry?”
“They don’t starve to death, but they’re not not hungry,” He Qiming said, and then said no more. “You must be exhausted. Come on, I’ll give you a shoulder massage.”
“No need. Gu Yao and Li Yang have been helping me cook. On the contrary, I’ve done less than them,” Ye Qingzhi said with some embarrassment.
“Well, after seeing Li Yang, do you think she’s the kind of person you imagined?” He Qiming had a very deep impression of Li Yang, because the first time they had met, Li Yang had been fighting with a new recruit, and she had not been at a disadvantage.
Ye Qingzhi shook her head. “She’s a very handsome woman. I like her very much.”
For some reason, Ye Qingzhi felt that she and Li Yang could become good friends.
In the evening, He Qiming went to call Li Jiang and the others for dinner. At first, they were unwilling to come, so Ye Qingzhi went again.
“What are you doing? You’re not guests. Do we have to ask you three times?” Ye Qingzhi said, feigning displeasure.
Well, since Ye Qingzhi had said so, how could they not go? They packed up, and the whole family had dinner at their house again.
A large pot of mutton and radish soup, with vermicelli, cabbage, and some dried vegetables. Besides this, Ye Qingzhi had stir-fried a sour and spicy cabbage and made a steamed egg. The steamed egg was for the children.
“I told you it was just a family meal. You see, I haven’t made many dishes. Hurry up and eat while it’s hot,” Ye Qingzhi said, handing out the chopsticks.
Each person had a large bowl of mutton and radish soup, with steamed buns. It was hot and made them sweat.
“Sister-in-law, where can I buy the children’s hats and leather boots?” Gu Yao asked. She felt it was fine during the day, but as soon as it got dark, the temperature dropped several degrees. Her cotton shoes felt like she was not wearing anything.
“They have them at the supply and marketing cooperative in town. I’ll take you there tomorrow,” she said. The frozen tofu at home was almost gone. She was planning to order another block.
“No need, no need. We can go by ourselves,” Gu Yao quickly waved her hand.
“I happen to have something to do. I’ll take you along,” Ye Qingzhi said, scooping a few pieces of frozen tofu for Li Yang’s daughter. “Do you like this?”
“Thank you, Auntie,” Qi Min said, glancing at Ye Qingzhi and nodding shyly.
It was really interesting. A heroic and valiant mother, but she had a daughter like a little rabbit.
“Where did you buy this? Or did you make it yourself?” Seeing that her daughter loved to eat it, Li Yang asked curiously.
“I also bought it in town. I’m planning to go and order some more of this tomorrow,” Ye Qingzhi said with a smile.
Li Yang took note of this. She planned to order some tomorrow as well. Her two children had lost their father at a young age. She did not want them to suffer in terms of food and clothing.
They still helped Ye Qingzhi clean up the kitchen before they left, and they also arranged a time to go to the town tomorrow.
“Mama, can we go to the town tomorrow?” Ye Anjie asked with anticipation.
“Not tomorrow. At the end of the month, the ethnic minorities here will be celebrating their New Year. The town will be very lively then. I’ll take you to play then,” Ye Qingzhi said. She had also learned this from Yang Xiaorou.
Ye Anmin asked curiously, “Isn’t the New Year still two months away?”
“They are an ethnic minority. Their New Year is at a different time from ours,” Ye Qingzhi said. Seeing their curiosity, she explained to them about the ethnic minorities’ New Year. She talked for more than half an hour. “Alright, you should go to sleep now. At the end of the month, I’ll take you to experience it yourselves.”
“Yay! Thank you, Mama,” Yangyang cheered and was then taken away by his older brothers.