The 1970s: Military Family Beauty

Hu Xiuqing was already in a bad mood, and when she opened the door and saw the house full of laughter and joy, her mood became even worse.

Jiang Xiaocui turned around and called out, "Sister-in-law, you're back." Then she busied herself clearing the table and preparing to serve dinner: "Guoqing, your mother is back. Go give her some candy. I'll bring the vermicelli noodles."

Jiang Guoqing followed her instructions, took out a candy from his pocket and walked forward: "Mom, this is for you."

Hu Xiuqing pushed the candy back to her son: "Mom won't eat it, I'll leave it all for you."

Grandma Jiang stopped peeling the melon seeds and looked up at Hu Xiuqing without saying a word or showing any expression.

"Mom," no matter how reluctant Hu Xiuqing was, she couldn't pretend not to see it, so she greeted her first.

He turned around, threw the bicycle keys onto the windowsill, and went into his bedroom with the bag.

The bedroom door didn't make the expected sound.

Grandma Jiang put the melon seeds in her hand back into the pile, stood up, brushed off the melon seed and peanut shells on her clothes, and sat down again.

After watching the fun, Jiang Furong went to the kitchen to get bowls and chopsticks, and smiled secretly for a while.

Jiang Xiaocui prepared dinner, which included stewed radish with vermicelli, braised bacon with dried beans, pancakes and steamed buns, a bowl of chopped scallion noodle sauce, and a large pot of steamed sweet potatoes.

"Guoqing, would you like a steamed sweet potato?" Jiang Xiaocui disliked Hu Xiuqing, but she saw that Jiang Guoqing really liked her. She would ask him first if there was anything to eat. "The yellow ones, do you think they're sweet? I roasted a few under the stove while I was burning firewood. I'll dig them out for you once the sparks go out."

Hu Xiuqing just came out of the bedroom with a stern face: "Qing, eat less sweet potatoes, your farts are really smelly."

Jiang Xiaocui frowned, she knew that Hu Xiuqing would target her. Thinking that she would have to stay here, she endured it and didn't retort, and put the sweet potato in her bowl angrily.

Jiang Furong and Jiang Zhaohui didn't pick up their chopsticks.

Usually at home, mom always picks up the chopsticks first before they can pick up the food.

Now that grandma and aunt are here, they are both guests and elders, and the atmosphere is a bit awkward. Jiang Chaohui is very nervous and stares at his chopsticks like a wooden man.

Jiang Furong was at her ease, waiting to watch the second round between Grandma Jiang and Hu Xiuqing.

According to general family etiquette, when eating, the hostess should serve food to the elders and guests first.

She could see that Grandma Jiang was also waiting.

Hu Xiuqing only glanced at the food on the table, then picked up the bowl in front of Jiang Guoqing and started feeding him: "Qing, drink some soup first, don't choke."

The radish vermicelli in the bowl was served to Jiang Guoqing by Jiang Xiaocui as soon as the food came to the table.

"National Day," Grandma Jiang said. Her face showed displeasure, but her voice didn't. "Is the vermicelli delicious? Your grandfather made it specially for me."

Making vermicelli is the specialty of Grandma Jiang’s husband. The vermicelli is crystal clear when cooked and chewy when eaten. He is famous in the village. He makes several sacks of it every year. If Jiang Dapeng does not go back to visit his relatives, they will send it to him.

Jiang Guoqing has loved eating his grandfather's vermicelli since he was a child. Now he heartlessly slurped down half a bowl, smacking his lips and saying, "Delicious!"

Grandma Jiang said with a half-smile: "If you like it, eat more. Boys grow taller when they eat enough."

Jiang Guoqing foolishly agreed with "yes, yes, yes" and continued to open his mouth to eat the food his mother fed him.

The vermicelli on the dinner table is sweet potato vermicelli.

Judging from Hu Xiuqing's expression, she probably didn't hear it, or she hasn't reacted yet.

Two to zero, Jiang Furong added another point to her grandmother in her heart.

"Grandma, can I get you a pancake with some sauce?" Jiang Furong offered to help her: "This scallion sauce smells delicious. My aunt's hands are much more skillful than mine."

With her granddaughter's words, Grandma Jiang's expression finally softened a bit. She took the pancake and told the younger generation to pick up their chopsticks: "Let's start eating. We're all hungry."

Jiang Chaohui breathed a sigh of relief, immediately took a steamed bun, broke it open, stuffed a piece of bacon and two dried beans into it, and took a big bite of the delicious food.

Jiang Furong took a steamed sweet potato and bit it slowly, observing the movements on the dinner table calmly.

Jiang Guoqing was already half full after eating eggs and peanuts before the meal. Now he ate a bowl of vermicelli and half a pancake, then shook his head and said he didn't want to eat anymore. He took a paper triangle to play with.

Hu Xiuqing finished all the food left in her son's bowl, ate two more steamed buns, put down her chopsticks, and went to the kitchen to get water for her son to wash his face and feet.

It seemed as if they were the only two people in the house.

It was cold, and the food cooled quickly. Tiny spots of white fat had already frozen onto the surfaces of the uneaten dishes.

Jiang Xiaocui dug out the roasted sweet potato from the stove and put it on the dining table: "Furong, have something hot. I see you haven't eaten much."

Jiang Furong smiled: "I was waiting to eat this."

No matter whether it’s farting or not, I still want to eat it.

"Auntie, it's baked just right!" Jiang Furong broke open the roasted sweet potato. The golden flesh and the burnt sugar juice looked simply exquisite. "You have such skillful hands! Everything you make tastes so good!"

That Li Xiuhua who chopped off the head is such a pighead that he can't recognize the value of gold and jade.

Jiang Xiaocui felt much better after being praised: "It's not that I'm good at this, it's just that the sweet potatoes in the provincial capital are more delicious."

The aunt and niece looked at each other and smiled knowingly.

Jiang Zhaohui broke off half a roasted sweet potato and asked quietly, "Are the sweet potatoes from the provincial capital more fragrant?"

Jiang Xiaocui teased her niece: "The sweet potatoes from the provincial capital have been transported by car, truck, and donkey cart. They must be delicious."

Jiang Chaohui didn't understand, but still found it funny, so he laughed along with his aunt and elder sister.

Grandma Jiang sat for a while and prepared to rest: "Xiao Cui, you clean up. Furong is tired after a day. Let her eat and then go and rest."

"Chaohui, you sleep with grandma later, and I will sleep on the chair." Jiang Furong knew that Hu Xiuqing would not be able to arrange a place for grandma to sleep.

Jiang Zhaohui rushed to sleep on the bench: "I'm short, sleeping on the bench allows me to stretch my legs. Sister, you and grandma can sleep on the bed."

"I'll sleep on the bench."

"Sister, I'll sleep."

They pushed and shoved each other, which made Hu Xiuqing angry. She slammed the door.

Jiang Chaohui glanced at his sister and said nothing.

Seeing her grandmother's face turn black with anger, Jiang Furong quickly pulled her grandmother's arm and dragged her to the bedroom, whispering in her ear: "Grandma, have you noticed that she doesn't hit or scold me when she gets angry now?"

Grandma Jiang was startled, then thought about it and realized it was true: "Have you figured out a solution?"

Jiang Furong smiled softly and raised her clenched fist: "Of course! I won't offend anyone unless they offend me. If she scolds me for no reason, I will confront her!"

Grandma Jiang was surprised: "How dare you?"

Jiang Furong raised her chin and said, "Where there is oppression, there is resistance."