The 1970s: Military Family Beauty

In this age of severe lack of information dissemination, if you don’t have the opportunity to go out and see things with your own eyes, if you want to learn more information, besides reading newspapers, you can only rely on listening to others.

This has created an interesting phenomenon: no matter where you are, as long as there are crowds, there will be people in the crowd who like to ask questions, and there will be people who like to gather around those who like to ask questions and talk to listen to the fun.

In the family compound, Grandma Lu is the kind of person who likes to pry into other people's family affairs. After getting to know each other for a while, she will start asking about your family affairs and find out things that she doesn't know.

Grandma Lu asked exaggeratedly, "There's a subsidy? I was wondering how come their family eats so much and has so much grain! I thought I'd have to ask for food coupons once or twice, but asking every day is too special!"

Jiang Dapeng heard this and realized that continuing would just be gossiping behind people's backs, which would affect their unity, so he quickly ended the conversation: "You're busy, I still have to go to the backyard to chop firewood."

"Go ahead, go ahead. You have guests at home," Grandma Lu waved her hand and turned to Jiang Zhaohui: "Hey, the second daughter is helping your father clean the car! She's so capable! Girls are just so good, they don't say a word and do all the work."

Jiang Chaohui usually doesn't rush to do the work. She was suddenly encouraged when she saw her sister being praised by her father. She thought that she didn't have the strength to lift rice, so she might as well do something within her ability, which would not make her tired and would also allow her father to see it.

So I took a rag and went to the porch to help wipe the dust off the bicycle, and then used a brush to remove the mud, dirt and snow stains on the bicycle wheels. I also took the opportunity to listen to my father and Grandma Lu chatting about family matters.

Although my father went into the house after listening to a few words, Grandma Lu’s praise was genuine.

Jiang Zhaohui happily replied, "My dad takes good care of his bicycle and often oils it."

Grandma Lu said, "That's right. Your car and ours were bought in the same batch. Look, yours looks like new, but ours makes noises everywhere except the bell!"

Jiang Zhaohui couldn't help laughing out loud: "Hahaha."

Then he wiped the car more vigorously, and even when he accidentally scratched his hand, he didn't think of quitting.

Grandma Lu asked, "What's your family having for dinner today? I saw your dad walking back and forth several times this morning, and he never came back empty-handed."

"We're making dumplings for lunch today." Jiang Zhaohui was delighted. Eating a good meal was a good thing, and she especially wanted to let others know: "They're stuffed with pork, cabbage, and green onions. My aunt mixes them, and they're delicious."

Grandma Lu exclaimed, "Your aunt is very skillful. She learned to pickle fresh cabbage from me and mastered it in no time. She'll have to live here for a while. She'll probably learn my skills in steaming and beating rice cakes. By the way, how long have your aunt and grandmother lived here?"

Jiang Zhaohui was really proud of being praised, and his aunt was also praised by others. He was very happy: "I don't know, I heard that my aunt wants to find a job quota here."

Grandma Lu's eyes widened, her expression exaggerated: "Your aunt is not a family member, can you arrange a job for her?"

Jiang Zhaohui was confused: "I don't know, I just heard what they said."

Grandma Lu leaned over and asked in a low voice, "What did you say?"

Jiang Zhaohui really didn't know: "That's what I said."

At this time, the door of the Jiang family's house opened, and Jiang Furong poked her head out: "Zhaohui, it's cold outside, bring the bicycle in and clean it. Oh, Grandma Lu is here? It's so cold outside, what's going on? I can help you."

“No, no,” Grandma Lu stood up straight and stepped back. “Nothing, I just saw my second son cleaning the car, so I came over to take a look.”

Jiang Furong smiled and said, "Grandma Lu, it's alright. I'll help my sister move the bicycle back into the house. If you need any help, just come and knock on the door and call me."

Grandma Lu smiled as she stepped onto the steps of her house: "The eldest is so sensible and well behaved."

Jiang Zhaohui was completely oblivious as he and his sister worked together to carry the bicycle into the living room. He was still humming happily as he continued to polish the bicycle wheels: "I'm going to polish the bicycle until it's shiny and looks like new."

Jiang Furong pulled Xiao Baoying aside and pointed at the bicycle to explain its components to him: "This is the wheel, this is the fender, this is the drive shaft, this is the pedal, which is the point of force and the power point, this is the chain, which drives the wheel to rotate, this is the brake pad, which can stop the bike, and this is the handlebar, which controls the direction."

Boys may be born to like mechanical things. Xiao Baoying followed Jiang Furong's fingers and listened very carefully.

Jiang Furong patted the car seat: "This is the driver's seat!"

Jiang Zhaohui found it both fresh and funny: "Sister, you talk about bicycles like they're jeeps!"

Jiang Furong smiled and nodded. "The principle is the same. It's just the difference between two wheels and four wheels, with gasoline and without gasoline." After thinking for a moment, she added, "One has a shell, and the other doesn't."

The more Jiang Zhaohui thought about it, the funnier it got. He laughed so hard that he dropped the rag and burst out laughing: "Hahahaha."

Little Baoying also laughed out loud.

The door of the living room was pushed open, and Hu Xiuqing appeared at the door holding Jiang Guoqing's hand.

Jiang Zhaohui's laughter stopped abruptly, and he called out softly, "Mom, you're back? My dad is making dumplings in the kitchen. I'm helping him clean his bike."

Jiang Guoqing had one hand in the pocket of his cotton-padded jacket and the other hand hanging on the gauze that fixed the dislocation. He pouted and said nothing.

Judging from Jiang Chaohui's previous experience, this was because Hu Xiuqing must have been unhappy after chatting outside, and it was a prelude to a quarrel with Jiang Dapeng when she returned home.

After calling her mother, she lowered her head and continued to wipe the bicycle silently. She stared at Jiang Furong's feet out of the corner of her eye and pricked up her ears to pay attention to how her sister would respond.

Hu Xiuqing entered the bedroom and saw the grain book that Jiang Dapeng hadn't put away in the drawer yet. He flipped it open and saw the newly added numbers and stamps. He was so angry that he yelled, "Jiang Dapeng! Come in!"

Jiang Dapeng was kneading dough in the kitchen. He rushed into the bedroom with his floury hands and closed the door with his foot. "Can you please keep your voice down?"

As soon as he saw Hu Xiuqing holding the grain book, he knew what she was yelling about. On the way to the grain store, he had already thought of how to respond: "I told my mother that they will stay here for a while, and there is no need to send them the grain coupons for the next few months."

Hu Xiuqing threw the food coupons onto the bed and said, "They're still counting on me to send them food coupons for the next few months. I don't even have enough to eat myself. I'm starving!"

Jiang Dapeng was so anxious that he could only whisper, "Keep your voice down!"

Hu Xiuqing began to vent her anger: "How dare you ask me to keep my voice down! Jiang Dapeng, let me tell you, your mother has been saying all sorts of bad things about my family, and I haven't even settled the score with her yet!"