The 1970s: Military Family Beauty

"That's all I know!" Jiang Furong couldn't help laughing: "I learned it from watching TV...ah, I learned it from watching movies."

Just being able to say a greeting makes one think of someone who can sing and dance well. Does she look like one?

Grandma Lu said exaggeratedly, "Oh, you learned it when you were picking apples, right? You can even speak the Xian language, so you can dance it pretty well too. I'll ask your dad to find an actor from the art troupe to teach you. You're so tall, you'll look great dancing the Xian dance. You'll definitely learn it!"

"When Picking Apples" is a North Korean movie from the early 1970s. The Korean girls in the movie are dressed in national costumes, and are energetic and motivated. They devote themselves to their careers and finally achieve success. With the background music with lively rhythm and clear singing, it is a good and inspiring movie.

Jiang Furong had never seen this movie and thought that Grandma Lu had misheard and said that she learned the story while chatting with people while picking apples in the army orchard. She had no idea that she had actually misheard.

"Grandma Lu, I'm learning the Xian language just for fun, not for any other reason. I can't sing in tune, and I can't dance, even if you teach me." Jiang Furong couldn't stop laughing. What the hell is going on? How can being tall be related to being able to dance? She remembered something else: "I'm so tall, and people say I'm suitable for playing ball."

She is clearly aware of her height. She is just tall and inherited the height advantage from her parents. As for talent in singing, dancing and sports, she really has none of them. She just likes to do research and development.

Grandma Lu glared, raised her eyebrows, and suddenly realized: "Oh my, yes, your head is good for playing basketball! You need a head like this to shoot and block shots!"

Jiang Furong was surprised and amused: "Grandma Lu, you know everything, you're amazing!"

For Jiang Furong, "awesome" is a catch-all adjective that can be used to describe any outstanding talent. For example, a writer is great at writing, a tycoon is great at making money, a chef is great at cooking, and a sniper is great at shooting.

How could Grandma Lu know that in the living environment of Grandma Lu and others, saying that a woman is powerful means that she has a bad temper, a shrewd personality and always wants to have the upper hand.

Grandma Lu really misheard this time: "I'm not awesome, your mom is awesome!"

Hu Xiuqing was riding her bicycle back from buying pickles when she heard this and shouted, "Hey, Grandma Lu, are you busy so early in the morning?"

Jiang Furong saw Grandma Lu's hand tremble slightly, and turned back with an unnatural smile: "Haha, aren't you talking to your eldest daughter? I told her to come over when she's free to pickle cabbage, garlic, and eggplant with me."

"Making pickled cabbage again?" Hu Xiuqing leaned her bicycle against the wall and clicked the lock. "Oh, this broken lock, it never locks, it's so frustrating. Grandma Lu, our eldest daughter's hands are even clumsier than her feet. If you don't mind her causing you trouble, feel free to ask her for help. Big brother, is your brother up? Don't be late for school."

The latter sentence was obviously a question to Jiang Furong, and anyone could hear the dissatisfaction in Hu Xiuqing's tone.

Grandma Lu looked up at the sky. It was just getting light and it was not even half past six. Why was she late?

Grandma Lu's smile disappeared, she let go of Jiang Furong's hand, and her voice changed: "Hurry up and have breakfast. Look at me, I'm so old and confused. You all still have to go to school."

The atmosphere became extremely awkward.

Jiang Furong softly said, "Goodbye, Grandma Lu," turned around and lowered her head as she walked into her home.

I heard Hu Xiuqing still talking to Grandma Lu: "Our Qingqing likes to be with his eldest sister. He doesn't let me interfere with going to school, coming home from school, or eating. I work all day, and this child is almost disobeying me."

Grandma Lu chuckled and said, "What child wouldn't listen to their mother? Go get busy. Your workplace is so far away, and you leave early and come back late every day. Go home and have something to eat. You're still in a hurry to go to work."

Hu Xiuqing entered the house, slammed the lunch box of pickles onto the table with a sullen look on his face, and rushed into the kitchen, gnashing his teeth and muttering, "What bad things did the old lady say about me? She said I was awesome? What am I awesome about? Huh?"

There were two forces fighting in Jiang Furong's heart. One force wanted to retreat and keep quiet by accepting the scolding or even beatings one by one. The other force wanted to fight back and refute with confidence.

She took a deep breath and threw the question back: "Just because Grandma Lu says you're awesome, you're awesome?"

She didn't think Hu Xiuqing was that great. He was not good-looking and could not do anything.

But self-affirmation will only lead to internal friction, and she is not stupid.

Hu Xiuqing gnashed her teeth and scolded, "You say I'm awesome, but the old lady is the awesome one! She's been taking advantage of us all day long. She even used the vacant lot in front of our house to build a grape trellis, and her grandson even plucked the cucumbers I planted. I told you not to go work for her at her house, did you hear me?"

Jiang Furong didn't want to waste her energy on such things, so she just nodded as a sign of agreement.

Hu Xiuqing took out the sugar triangles from the cupboard and placed them on the frying pan, then took out the bag of flour and placed it next to the stove. "You kneaded the flour during the day and steamed two pots of steamed buns for dinner. Remember to use old flour and alkaline flour when steaming. If you make dough lumps for me again, I'll beat you up. You silly girl, I'm talking to you, look over here!"

Jiang Furong had no choice but to turn her head and look at the flour bag.

There are two stoves in the Jiang family's kitchen. One is an earthen stove that burns firewood and can also be used to heat the kang in winter. The other is a double-burner gas stove purchased by the unit to improve living standards.

That big pot can steam about twenty steamed buns at a time. Using an earthen stove to steam the buns is not only convenient, but also saves gas.

Jiang Furong looked at the flat bag of noodles, then at the big pot, wondering how she could conjure up two large pots of steamed buns.

Making pasta is her weakness.

No, cooking is her weakness.

She is never picky about food because she doesn't know how to cook.

Hu Xiuqing growled impatiently, "Speak up! You're not a heroine, so why are you keeping your mouth shut so tightly? When I talk to you, you have to answer. Do you hear me?"

"I heard it." Jiang Furong was speechless.

Hu Xiuqing was still dissatisfied: "Be nicer! You have such a sullen face, just like a Japanese soldier, just like your grandmother."

Jiang Furong glanced at Hu Xiuqing quickly.

Why drag the elderly out when scolding the children? This is too unreasonable!

When Hu Xiuqing mentioned Grandma Jiang, all the old and new hatreds in her heart surged up, and she gnashed her teeth and cursed at Jiang Furong: "What are you looking at! You can only eat but not cook, you are all useless! I am so unlucky."

It was as if the Jiang family had wronged her from the old to the young.

Jiang Furong's hands and feet began to tremble slightly. She knew that these were symptoms of hypoglycemia. She hadn't eaten anything since last night. Who could bear this?

But Hu Xiuqing only got angrier: "You only know how to act pitiful. What's the point of raising you? You're useless! I want to kick you to death just by looking at you!"

Jiang Guoqing walked to the kitchen door with sleepy eyes: "Mom, you woke me up."

In fact, Jiang Chaohui was woken up. When he saw that something was wrong, he quickly went to call Jiang Guoqing to get up.

Only my baby brother can stop Mom from losing her temper.