Back To The 80s-Chapter 503 - 515: Spring Warmth_1
Gu Xiaobei’s worries were not without reason. Gu Weimin and his wife were like two thunderstorms, always posing the risk of a storm at any moment, and she was often caught up in the middle of it. The bond of being her birth parents, blood ties, could not be denied just because she didn’t want to recognize it. Regardless of the accusations of being cold-blooded and heartless, she felt resentment in her heart.
Gu Xiaobei was feeling a bit stifled. Indeed, life couldn’t always be full of smooth sailing.
Seeing Gu Xiaobei sighing and worrying, Lu Zhanguo patted her on the back and said, "If you keep worrying like this, won’t you just end up playing into the hands of others? Don’t mind these things, just focus on doing what we should be doing."
Gu Xiaobei sighed again. That was the only option now, what could be done otherwise?
It was March before they knew it. In the northwest, it was only in March that the treetops began to turn green.
The snow in the small yard had melted away, and where the sun shone, little grass was sprouting tender buds.
It was Sunday, and unusually, both Lu Zhanguo and Ji Xiangdong were at home.
Lu Songyuan sat under the grapevine, directing his two brothers to clean up the chicken coop and the sheep pen, and also turn over the ground in the yard for drying.
After more than a month of exercise and careful nursing by Wen Xiuqing, Lu Songyuan’s health had improved greatly. Except for a bit of slurring in his speech and a slight limp when he walked, he was almost like any other normal person.
With his recovery, he felt energetic and insisted on doing things he wasn’t supposed to do, which frightened Wen Xiuqing into constantly nagging, "What are you messing around for? Let Xiangdong and Zhanguo handle it," and forced him to sit under the grapevine canopy.
Lu Songyuan watched his brothers work with dissatisfaction. Why did they not work to his satisfaction?
He couldn’t help but complain, "Look at the work you are doing. Why don’t you break apart the chicken manure and sheep dung directly? Wouldn’t it be better to spread it in the field later?"
Wen Xiuqing made him a bowl of chrysanthemum tea, placed it on the stool next to him, and said, "You just sit here and watch. What Xiangdong and the others are doing is quite right. They are spreading a layer of ash over the chicken manure, so that when it is used in the field later, it won’t burn the seedlings."
Lu Songyuan huffed childishly.
Gu Xiaobei was playing with the two children at the door, Bai Xiaolan was four months pregnant and was starting to show. Doudou was placed on the platform under the grapevine, and she sat next to it watching.
Xiaopang, holding a small shovel, was digging the soil next to a little tree at the door, his little bum sticking out and saying as he dug, "Mummy, I’m cooking?"
"What are you cooking, Xiaopang?" Gu Xiaobei squatted down and asked with a smile.
"Stir-fried shredded potatoes."
Gu Xiaobei laughed and praised, "Xiaopang, you’re really impressive, you can even stir fry shredded potatoes."
Mo Wang was also digging beside him, he dug a tall mound of earth, then flattened it.
Gu Xiaobei, curious, asked, "Mo Wang, what are you making?"
"A tank, to fight against the Japanese devils." Mo Wang answered seriously.
Gu Xiaobei was going to laugh her head off. He must have learned it from watching TV dramas with his grandpa every day.
"Sister-in-law."
Gu Xiaobei had her head bowed and was engrossed in conversation with Xiaopang and Mo Wang. Hearing someone calling her, she looked up and saw Shen Heng standing on the roadside with a bag full of stuff.
Gu Xiaobei stood up in surprise, "Shen Heng, it’s been a long time since I last saw you. Where’s Qin Mei?"
Shen Heng laughed and said, "Qin Mei is at my mother-in-law’s place, waiting to give birth. We went back to Capital City for the New Year, so we didn’t come here."
"Come on in, everyone’s home today." Gu Xiaobei hurriedly invited Shen Heng into the yard, and called Xiaopang and Mo Wang to come home.
Shen Heng was concerned about Lu Songyuan and asked a series of questions, then heaved a sigh, "My father said that after Xiao Mei gives birth, he wants to come and visit you. He’s been worrying non-stop." There was something else, unspoken in his heart. Shen’s father had also said, "Getting old, the chances to see each other are getting fewer." Looking at Lu Songyuan now, he felt an unexplainable heartache.
Lu Songyuan spoke up, "I also miss those old friends in Capital City, I wonder if I will ever have the chance to see them again?"
Shen Heng comforted him with a smile, "Why wouldn’t you have the chance? Wait till you’re feeling better, you and Auntie can go to Capital City together. We have plenty of places available for you to stay."
Lu Songyuan nodded, "When I get the chance, I must go."
Ji Xiangdong and Lu Zhanguo came over after cleaning up the chicken coop. Lu Zhanguo, all sweaty, took off his sweater and sat down wearing just a jumper, "Why are you here?"
Shen Heng moved his stool away in disgust, "You reek of chicken manure."
Lu Zhanguo ignored him, picked up the teapot that was left on the table and poured a cup of tea for himself and Ji Xiangdong before finishing it in one gulp.
It was only then that Shen Heng spoke, "I went back to Capital City for the New Year and then to T City. I just got back here yesterday. I’ve been so busy lately, I don’t even know if I’ll be able to make it in time for the birth of my daughter."
Bai Xiaolan was curious, "How do you know it’s a girl? Did you get an ultrasound?"
"Yes, whilst in Capital City, my mom took Qin Mei to the hospital for an ultrasound when they were free." As he spoke, he looked at Bai Xiaolan and was stunned by her slightly protruding belly, "No way? You are pregnant again even before we have our first child?"
Bai Xiaolan glared at him, "What’s so surprising about that? Stop making a fuss." In fact, she also felt that the gap between the two children seemed too close.
Shen Heng looked at his elder brother in admiration, "How come your family can have a second child?"
"Because I’m Manchu and also registered as a border resident," Bai Xiaolan answered proudly, provoking Shen Heng’s envy. He had the perfect look of a doting father.
Gu Xiaobei asked Xiaopang and Mo Wang to go to Lu Zhanguo, and she helped Wen Xiuqing prepare the food.
It was a season when things were not blooming yet, and what was being sold in the market were cabbages with little water content left and potatoes that had sprouted.
The vegetables stored in the cellar were also almost gone after a whole winter. With the warming weather, the cabbages were beginning to rot.
Looking at what was left of vegetables at home, Wen Xiuqing said to Gu Xiaobei, "We just have some potatoes, cabbages, and not much else. Does it seem too plain? Why don’t you ride a bike to buy some tofu?"
Gu Xiaobei looked and suggested, "How about we eat hand-pulling noodles? I’ll make it. We still have some carrots and dry chili, let’s take out some meat."
Gu Xiaobei finely diced the scarce potatoes, cabbages, and carrots, along with the meat, and made a non-spicy sauce. She then stir-fried dry chili with meat slices and white radish slices to make an extremely spicy dry-fried dish.
She pulled the dough into flat thin noodles for the two children.
Shen Heng couldn’t praise her enough, "Sister-in-law, this noodle dish is absolutely delicious. It’s so comforting to eat this in this weather."
"We are out of vegetables at home, so just make do. In a few days, the chives will be ready, and you can come over to eat chive dumplings," Wen Xiuqing invited him, laughing.
Bai Xiaolan was eyeing the fried dry chili enviously, and as she stretched out her chopsticks towards it, it was blocked by Ji Xiangdong, "Xiaolan, try to eat less spicy food in spring, it can cause hot flushes."
Bai Xiaolan could only pout her mouth, while pulling the noodles into her mouth to satiate her cravings.
This meal was very much to Lu Zhanguo’s liking. As he ate, he praised silently in his heart that his wife’s cooking skills were getting better and better.
