Chapter 88
In the afternoon, Ye Qingzhi took Yangyang to Gu Yao’s house. Before they even entered the door, Haohao blocked them.
“No entry. We’re enemies now,” Haohao said loudly.
Yangyang pursed his lips, held Ye Qingzhi’s hand tightly, and raised his small chin. “Hmph, if we can’t come in, we won’t. Mama, let’s go home.”
Ye Qingzhi and Gu Yao, who had come over at the sound of the voice, exchanged a look, both seeing confusion in the other’s eyes.
“Alright, let’s go home,” Ye Qingzhi said, not blaming Yangyang for saying that. Instead, she squatted down, pulled Yangyang into her arms, giving him support, and turned her gaze to Haohao. “But before we go back, can Haohao tell Auntie Ye how you and Yangyang became enemies?”
Haohao looked at Ye Qingzhi, then turned and hugged Gu Yao’s leg. “Anyway, we’re not good friends anymore.”
Seeing Yangyang’s wronged pout, Ye Qingzhi gently patted his back. “Does Yangyang know why?”
“Because… because I… didn’t give my toys… to Shitou… and the others to play with. They… said I was stingy, and Haohao also… wouldn’t play with me,” Yangyang said. Although his speech was not fluent, his meaning was very clear.
Ye Qingzhi understood. She patted Yangyang’s head and stood up, holding him. “The toys are Yangyang’s. You have the right to let others play with them or not. You’re not stingy. If they don’t play with you because of this, that’s their problem. You did nothing wrong.”
Shitou was the son of the deputy battalion commander of the 2nd Battalion, a year older than Yangyang, very mischievous, and also very destructive.
Yangyang was not a stingy child. He used to lend his toys to Shitou to play with, but after he had broken two of them, he had never given his toys to Shitou and the others to play with again.
Even without this premise, Ye Qingzhi did not think that Yangyang had done anything wrong. Why was not sharing considered stingy? Yangyang’s own things were his to decide.
“Haohao, is what Yangyang said true? How did you become so close with Shitou and the others? How can you not be friends with Yangyang just because he won’t give his toys to Shitou to play with? Have you forgotten that Shitou broke your toys?” Gu Yao asked, squatting down and looking at Haohao with disapproval.
“I just won’t play with Yangyang,” Haohao shouted and ran away.
“Mama…” Yangyang’s eyes were filled with tears.
“It’s fine. Haohao might have misunderstood. It’s okay, Mama will play with you,” Ye Qingzhi said with a smile, pinching his cheek. She said a word to Gu Yao, then carried Yangyang home, telling him that he had done nothing wrong.
A four or five-year-old child, who had been so sad he was about to cry just now, was now acting coquettishly with Ye Qingzhi, asking for a sponge cake.
She didn’t know what Li Yang had said, but after dinner, Haohao came to apologize to Yangyang, and the two of them became the best friends in the world again.
“I’m so sorry. This child Haohao is easily influenced,” Li Yang said with embarrassment.
“How old is the child? They’re friends one moment and enemies the next. It’s very normal,” Ye Qingzhi said. She really didn’t take it to heart. She had just taken the opportunity to teach Yangyang some principles.
But her educational philosophy was indeed a little different from that of the people now. For example, this time, most parents, although unwilling in their hearts, would still teach their children to give their toys to others to play with.
The weather was slowly getting hotter, and the three children were already on their summer vacation. They were all hardworking and good children. With their help, Ye Qingzhi’s speed of drying vegetables had increased a lot.
“Mama, I want to eat corn,” Yangyang said, pulling Ye Qingzhi’s hand.
“You and your brothers can go and pick some corn. Don’t pick the ones that are too small. Then count how many people are in our family. Two ears of corn per person. How many do you have to pick in total?” Ye Qingzhi asked with a smile.
“I know. I can count,” Yangyang said happily and left.
As she was boiling the corn, she saw Ye Qinglan come in with something.
“Fourth Sister, I know a family that’s slaughtering a pig. I bought a few catties for you, and also some pork fat. Look, how thick,” Ye Qinglan said, showing Ye Qingzhi the meat she had bought. As she took it out, she whispered, “I saw Li Wang on a blind date with a very beautiful girl. I’ve seen that girl at the base.”
It was normal for Li Wang to be on a blind date at his age, but a girl from the base? Besides the telephone squad and the art troupe, it seemed there were no female soldiers.
No, wait, there were also doctors and nurses.
“Really?” Ye Qingzhi asked, picking up the meat and looking at it. “This must be over three catties, right? How much is it? I’ll give it to you in a bit.”
“No need, Fourth Sister. If you’re so clear with me, I won’t come again,” Ye Qinglan said unhappily.
The vegetables Ye Qingzhi grew were particularly good. Ye Qinglan often got vegetables from her, and whatever delicious food Ye Qingzhi made, she would often have Jin Junjie bring it to her.
Returning a favor with a favor, if Ye Qinglan had something good to eat, she would also think of Ye Qingzhi. And since she lived in town, if she came across anything good, the first person she would think of was also Ye Qingzhi.
“Alright, then I won’t be polite with you,” Ye Qingzhi said, washing the pork fat and preparing to cut it and render the oil.
As for the pork belly, she had learned how to make jarred meat from a military wife. After it was done, the meat could be stored for a long time. It was just a little salty, but very fragrant. And in this era, it was good enough to have meat to eat.
It was a rare trip. Of course, she had to have dinner before she went back. It was fine even if she couldn’t. She could stay here for a night. It wasn’t like there was no place to sleep.
As they were eating corn, Li Jinfeng came over with her child and mysteriously said that Tao Lingyi had gone on a blind date and was dressed very beautifully today.
A blind date? Ye Qingzhi thought of what Ye Qinglan had said about Li Wang being on a blind date with a female comrade from their base. Could it be Tao Lingyi?
“You know?” Seeing Ye Qingzhi and her sister look at each other but without any curiosity, Li Jinfeng immediately pressed.
“I don’t know, but Little Lan saw Li Wang on a blind date. She’s very beautiful and is from our base. Hearing you say that Tao Lingyi is also on a blind date, I suspect that the two of them are on a blind date,” Ye Qingzhi said. She felt that it was not impossible.
After Tao Lingyi’s overseas connections had been cleared up, she had gone back to the art troupe to dance. She had just seen her performance half a month ago. Her singing was very good, her dancing was very beautiful, and she was also very beautiful. Many people in the army liked her.
Because her family had had trouble before, and she had also dated Company Commander Zhou, no one had confessed to her.
“No way. I saw her and Company Commander Zhou walking together a few days ago,” Li Jinfeng said, shaking her head.
“Walking together doesn’t mean they’ve gotten back together,” Ye Qingzhi said. She felt that it was impossible for them to get back together.
What had happened before, no one was at fault. But a thorn had been planted in both of them, especially Tao Lingyi. For Company Commander Zhou to choose to break up under those circumstances was abandonment to her. A proud person like her would probably not go back.
Li Jinfeng thought for a moment and sighed softly. “The two of them look very well-matched together. It’s a pity. But Li Wang is also very good. It would also be good if Tao Lingyi could be with Li Wang.”
A few days later, Li Jinfeng brought a portion of wedding candy to Ye Qingzhi, saying that it was from Li Wang.
“Who’s the bride? Is it Tao Lingyi?” Yang Xiaorou was at Ye Qingzhi’s house. Seeing the wedding candy, her eyes lit up.
Li Jinfeng nodded. “It’s her. Li Wang said he’s a loner, and his ancestors for eight generations were poor peasants, so he’s not afraid of being implicated.”
Most importantly, Li Wang was an ethnic minority. After Tao Lingyi married him, her household registration would be transferred to his, and she would join his ethnic group, so there would be no problem.
“Is Li Wang an ethnic minority?” Ye Qingzhi really didn’t know this.
“Yes. Didn’t I say so?” Seeing Ye Qingzhi, Yang Xiaorou, and the others shake their heads, Li Jinfeng slapped her head. “He’s an ethnic minority, I think the Dongxiang people.”
At this time, being an ethnic minority was also a layer of protection. Tao Lingyi might have also had this consideration when she chose to marry him.
No matter the reason, marriage was a happy event. Ye Qingzhi and the others all sent their blessings.