The 1970s: Military Family Beauty

"That person said, I only said that he was carrying a gun and riding a horse, but I didn't say he was the head of the regiment. He might not be able to become the head of the regiment even if he wanted to. Right? Mom, that's what he said at that time." In order to prove that she had a good memory, Jiang Xiaocui tried hard to verify it.

Grandma Jiang nodded. "Yes! I was panicking at the time. When I heard Dapeng couldn't become the group leader, I thought he wouldn't be able to come back alive. I burst into tears right there."

Recalling the scene at that time, Grandma Jiang still felt a little excited even though so many years have passed.

Jiang Furong could imagine the heartbreaking scene, just like hearing the bad news. She reached out and gently held Grandma Jiang's hand: "My dad is so lucky to have Grandma caring about him so much."

A loving mother sews clothes for her son with her own hands, sewing them tightly before he leaves, fearing that he will return late. My grandmother is such a loving mother.

Grandma Jiang patted Jiang Furong's hand and said, "Grandma is worried about you too."

"Yes, grandma, I know." Jiang Furong could feel it and put her face on her grandma's shoulder. After a while, she said, "Aunt, what happened next?"

"That's really disgusting!" Jiang Xiaocui said with a smile, and continued: "Later, when my father saw my mother crying, he took two pieces of dry steamed buns and let the man go, saying that our family is poor and we can't tell her fortune. But the man said, sister-in-law, you didn't say who you wanted to tell fortunes for. I said when I came that this little girl has a brother who rides a horse and carries a gun. Give me her brother's horoscope so that I can see if he will be a company commander or a battalion commander.

Then guess what? My mother stopped crying and told me my brother's birthday. The person tapped her fingers on the palm of her hand like this, and then she said that my brother was both civil and military, could ride a horse and carry a gun, could write articles, could be an officer and a battalion commander, could earn enough money to support the whole family, and would live to be 88.

The fortune teller could even improvise doggerel, and his predictions were quite rhyming, quite talented! Jiang Furong nodded repeatedly as she listened.

She didn't think the divination was accurate, because she found several flaws. For example, how did the fortune teller know Jiang Xiaocui had a brother right away? Had he been to the village before? Did the fortune teller know the Jiang family, but the Jiang family had never met this fortune teller?

Or maybe, when Grandma Jiang was listening to someone else's fortune-telling, someone next to her said something like "Do you want to have your son's fortune told?", and the fortune-teller happened to hear it.

However, she would not express these doubts. When listening to people reminiscing about the past or talking about something they were very passionate about, any clear-headed questioning or rational analysis would kill the conversation.

Only a fool would do such a hurtful thing.

Jiang Furong thought for a moment: "My dad seems to be at the battalion level now?"

Jiang Xiaocui was stunned for a moment. "Oh, I've never asked my brother about this. I just know he's an officer in the army. Haha, I'll remember to ask him when he comes back. But he must have calculated accurately how much money he makes to support the whole family. My brother sends money back home, and our family, young and old, has never gone hungry. The same goes for your grandmother's family."

Jiang Xiaocui said the last sentence to Jiang Furong.

Jiang Furong thought of something at this moment: "I haven't read my father's articles, but he's a really good writer."

The regular script is written beautifully and elegantly, and the running script is written neatly and cleanly. The handwriting truly reflects the person.

Grandma Jiang smiled and said, "That's right! If Dapeng hadn't joined the army back then and had studied hard at university, he could have become a middle school principal. I asked someone, and they said a company commander is in charge of 200 people, so he's just an elementary school principal. A battalion commander, at least, would be a middle school principal."

Jiang Furong sat up straight, looked at Grandma Jiang and smiled: "Grandma, you are worthy of being the head of the family!"

Even the official positions between different professions can be converted by themselves. This is true pragmatism and the ability to accomplish great things.

Jiang Xiaocui followed suit and praised, "Yes, that fortune teller said the same thing. He said that my mother is the one who makes the decisions in our family. As long as my mother makes the final decision, everything in our family will be done."

Jiang Furong immediately agreed: "That's right! My grandma is obviously the boss!"

A vague memory emerged in her mind: whenever someone asked her grandfather for help, they had to get her grandmother's permission first.

In fact, Grandma Jiang is kind-hearted and almost always responds to people's requests, but the people in the village just like to ask her first and then tell Grandpa.

Grandma Jiang tapped Jiang Furong's forehead and said, "The boss is the boss, what's the big boss? Do you think the mountain king is trying to snatch the wife of the chieftain?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Jiang Xiaocui exclaimed in surprise, "It's your destiny to be a lady! Oh my god, the fortune teller said you're destined to be a lady of the imperial order."

Grandma Jiang feigned indignation: "You're going backwards the more you talk. It's been so many years since liberation, and you think we're still doing opera."

Jiang Xiaocui and Jiang Furong burst into laughter together.

"Grandma, what is a lady of imperial decree?" Jiang Furong didn't know much about these traditional cultures.

Grandma Jiang said, "In ancient times, when a family's son became a high-ranking official, he would ask the emperor to confer the title of Consort on his mother, indicating that the emperor thought highly of his son."

Jiang Furong understood what she meant. This was the state's approval. "Then how much will the reward be for being a royal consort?"

The name is not important, money is the most cost-effective.

Grandma Jiang lowered her voice and said, "As a consort of the Imperial Court, I can go to the government office to collect food every year, just like being an official."

Jiang Furong opened her mouth into the shape of "oh": "That's great!"

The treatment of retired cadres!

For women in ancient times, that was extremely good, after all, they had someone to rely on when they were old.

A person's confidence comes from the fact that his abilities are always recognized by others.

Grandma Jiang sighed: "That's right, it's fine!"

I don’t dare say what comes after that.

Jiang Furong understood her grandmother's thoughts and quickly comforted her: "Grandma, when I have made some progress, I will make you an old lady and give you food and money."

Grandma Jiang's face was full of smiles: "Our Furong will definitely have a bright future, grandma is waiting."

Jiang Xiaocui said, "Mom, maybe Furong has helped you overcome your difficulties, and you can live to be eighty-four."

Grandma Jiang smiled and waved her hands: "Alas, with Furong's words, even if I live to be sixty-six, it's more than enough."

"Not enough!" Jiang Furong used her fingers to write and calculate on the table. Eighty-four minus sixty-six is eighteen, which is too short. "Grandma, the Jiang family's affairs can only be accomplished with your final decision. You will definitely overcome that hurdle, and then I will give you the salary, food coupons and cloth coupons of an imperial lady!"

Jiang Xiaocui said, "Mom, I think Furong is right! You are so kind to others. When you are in trouble, you only have a handful of rice and you still share a bowl of porridge with others. Everyone says that you will live a long life."

Grandma Jiang smiled and sighed, "I wish you two were fortune tellers. Then I would really live a hundred years."