novelaction Chapter 321 I want to join the army
Chapter 321 I want to join the army
Zhou Guo smiled and said, "Sister, we have never eaten this dish. We have been eating wild vegetables every day for so long outside. Let's fry one in the evening. Fry half of it, and make a plate. We are sure we can finish it."
Zhou Xing immediately felt guilty after hearing this and said, "Then just fry it all. One plate is only enough for you. We Xiao Su have never eaten this dish before."
Zhou Su said, "I'll go wash it."
The last ray of sunlight set and the Zhou family started to eat.
The whole family sat closely together around a table. On the table was a pot of deer meat stewed with radish, several large bowls of roasted meat, and two bowls of emerald green stir-fried vegetables. Although there were only three dishes, the table was full.
Mrs. Li was very happy today. She added food to everyone and said with a smile, "People here like to eat in bed. Last time I went to deliver food to your Aunt Chen, I saw their family eating on a small table on the bed. Your Aunt Chen said that people here eat like this. They really save on tables. If we had known earlier, we wouldn't have to buy a table and would have eaten on the bed."
Zhou Xing looked at the kang with a quilt on it and said, "How can we eat like this? Won't the food and vegetables spill onto the bed? It will be so hard to wash."
Everyone nodded.
Zhou Guo said, "Mom, you will understand when the weather gets colder. When it is freezing cold, and you are still eating at the table, your hands and feet will be frozen and you will have no choice but to heat up the kang. The whole family can sit cross-legged on the warm kang to eat, and the food will not get cold, and we will not be cold either. How great is that."
Li smiled and nodded, "You have found out clearly. Your Aunt Chen also told me the same thing. But in this case, we have to prepare a small table."
Zhou Gu said, "Why spend that money? Just put two stones on top and put some boards on it. Then put it back down after dinner."
Zhou Dacang said, "You don't have to be so frugal. It's just a table. It won't cost much. I'll pay for it."
It's troublesome and difficult to clean up a few stones and boards when moving them around.
Zhou Su was eating while listening to everyone's conversation. There was a lot of meat in the bowl. Zhou Guo picked up a piece of vegetable for him with chopsticks and said, "Eat quickly. You picked and washed these vegetables yourself."
Zhou Su nodded while holding the bowl, eating the vegetables like a little rabbit, and said to Zhou Guo, "It's delicious, much better than wild vegetables."
Everyone felt sorry for him when they heard this, and gave him some meat. "We don't want to eat wild vegetables anymore. Come, eat more meat."
Zhou Su took the bowls one by one and looked at the pile of bowls with satisfaction.
Li saw it all and felt pain in her heart. He was only four years old and had no idea what he had experienced outside. He couldn't explain clearly even if she asked him a few words, and he couldn't even remember some things.
If the child’s father knew about this, I don’t know how he would blame her.
Zhou Guo scooped another big bowl of rice from the rice bucket. As there were many people eating at home and they had big appetites, they had changed to steaming rice in a wooden barrel.
The rice bucket is made from a wooden barrel I bought before. I made it myself and it is usable. The rice steamed in it is no worse than that in the bought rice bucket.
Zhou Guo didn't bring the rice bucket up the mountain, and it was the first time for him to eat. He couldn't help but eat four bowls of rice and two pieces of cake, finally making up for the loss of the day.
Yongcai is still delicious. Compared to meat, she ate the most Yongcai tonight. It is fresh, tender and crispy, and goes well with rice.
The family finished their dinner in a lively atmosphere and cleaned up the dishes. It was still early, so they turned on the lights and started working under the lamps.
There were people mending clothes and shoe uppers, sewing soles, making insoles, and rubbing straw sandals. No one in the family was idle. At first glance, it looked like a shoe and sock shop.
Even the old man was making straw ropes. There was no rope at home, so he had to borrow one from others if he needed one. It was not good to always trouble others.
Zhou Su was jealous. He saw Li Lai and the other two also taking some straw and learning to make straw sandals. He didn't want to be outdone. He also knew how to make straw sandals, but he was not good at it.
Zhou Guo was holding a long needle and sewing shoe soles. The soles had to be made by someone who was strong and meticulous. The soles he made were dense, firm, beautiful, and quick.
Zhou Dacang also helped to mend the shoe. He finished half of it in silence, took a deep breath, and put down the sole.
Zhou Guo stopped what he was doing and looked at him.
The old man didn't stop working and glanced at him.
Li said, "Tell me, what's the matter?"
Everyone looked at him.
Zhou Dacang looked at his family members one by one, and finally looked at Li, and said, "Second sister-in-law, I want to be recruited into the army."
It was like a bomb dropped from the sky, deafening everyone's ears.
No one spoke in the room for a long time.
Zhou Guo didn't say anything either, but she probably knew why he did that.
Zhou Dacang glanced at everyone, pursed his lips and said, "I know being a soldier is dangerous, but I have the skills now. I have been practicing the skills that the master taught me every day, practicing swords, spears and fists. I won't be killed so easily on the battlefield. If I kill a lot of enemies, I may be promoted. In this way, I will be promoted to a higher position, and it will be easier to find out the news of my elder brother and second brother. When mother died, I promised her that I would definitely find them back. I have thought about it. Now the world is in chaos and there are wars everywhere. It is difficult to find them through normal channels. Only this way is the most likely way to find them. I want to see them alive or dead."
Everyone was speechless and still couldn't utter a word.
Li's eyes were red, she opened her mouth and choked up, "We're not in a hurry to find them right now. How can you go in just to find someone? Is it that easy to get in there? Ten people went in and none of the bodies were found. A few years ago, widow Chen from the same village had four sons. In order to survive, the second son joined the army, but the news of his death in the second year came back. The third son also went two years later, and within a year, the third son was gone too. The pensions from the two sons allowed the remaining two sons to marry wives, build houses, and buy a few acres of land, and live a good life, but the price was the lives of the two sons! One person died when he went in, and that was the case back then. Now there are wars everywhere. I'm a woman and don't understand any big principles, but I still know that more people fight in a war, more people die."
Li took a few breaths and continued, "I'm going to say something unpleasant. Your eldest brother and second brother may have passed away a long time ago. How can I put you in this situation for the sake of two people who are no longer alive? You are the only one left among the three brothers. Even for the sake of your nephews and nieces, you can't go. They have lost their father, and you are going to make them lose their uncle too? Even if I go to the underworld, how can I have the face to see my parents and the ancestors of the Zhou family!"
He was in tears while speaking.
Everyone in the Zhou family began to wipe away their tears.
Zhou Gu wiped his tears and said, "Uncle, even if we have to go, I will go. You can't go. You still have to take care of the family."
Zhou Mai and Zhou Mi rushed to say: "I'll go too. I'm old enough to go now. I'll go find Dad!"