Jiang Wei ate with a look of complete satisfaction, "Sister-in-law, I’ve been in the army for a few months now, and this is the best meal I’ve ever had!"
"If you like it, eat more, don’t be polite." Feng Qingxue handed Xibao a baked flatbread, rolled with some green onion strips and Beijing sauce pork strips, and it was apparent that the little guy was eating heartily with big bites, "Next time you have a break, you don’t need your brother Lu Jiang to invite you, just come over by yourself. Usually, at our home, it’s just simple home cooking."
"Thank you, sister-in-law!" Jiang Wei beamed with happiness.
Although the army provided for food and accommodation, and ensured full bellies, the meals were generally plain with little oil and water, especially for the new soldiers as opposed to the officers, who only had vegetarian dishes. After a session of training, their stomachs were already empty.
At the same time, their salaries were low, and supplies were very limited. They could not even afford to buy something to snack on at the service society.
So, faced with a table set with three meat dishes and one vegetable dish, rich in color, fragrance, and taste, Jiang Wei let loose his cheeks and wolfed down the food.
"Sister-in-law, your and Comrade Lu Jiang’s cooking skills are really good, not inferior to what they make in state-owned restaurants!"
Feng Qingxue smiled. This was because she was willing to use plenty of oil, salt, and seasoning, while ordinary households made do with blandness, which of course, wasn’t as tasty.
Lu Jiang and Feng Qingxue often filled their stomachs with space food in private, being very disciplined. Fubao ate even less, satisfied with just a few strips of potato and a bite or two of minced meat steamed eggs. The potato strips were put aside by Feng Qingxue earlier, sour without any spiciness.
In contrast, Xibao had two flatbreads wrapped with Beijing sauce pork strips.
The difference between the siblings lay there; as a result, Xibao always had good resistance, while the thin and small Fubao’s constitution was somewhat weaker.
"The situation in the Capital is getting more and more out of control, so I was kicked into the army by grandfather, along with number four and number five, none of us could stay in the Capital." After eating his fill, Jiang Wei began to complain, sighing, "None of us brothers ever thought of becoming soldiers. How comfortable was it living in the army compound in the Capital? Who knew things would change so fast."
"What was the situation like when you left the Capital?" asked Feng Qingxue.
Jiang Wei had arrived here after his new soldier training, having been in this place for less than a month; the big chaos happened while he was in the Capital.
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Wei spoke truthfully, "It was chaotic, and people were panic-stricken. The academic circles were either dead or injured. We never expected such a thing to happen, and now I’m especially grateful that grandfather had the foresight. Although we had no ill intentions, initially we just wanted to join the fun with the children of the revolutionaries, to show we were one of the crowd, but with such events, we’ll never be able to wash it clean for a lifetime."
"Having an elder in the house is like having a treasure. Sometimes, listening to the words of the elderly will not go wrong."
After hearing Lu Jiang’s words, Jiang Wei agreed very much, "Back then, when the Capital was in chaos, our barracks were also in unrest. Hence, we hastily finished our new soldier training, and I was assigned here. The rest I don’t know."
Even if he did know, he couldn’t say; he understood discretion.
Feng Qingxue and Lu Jiang didn’t press further. When he was about to leave, they sliced the leftover pig head meat, mixed it well, and put it in a covered enamel bowl for him to take back and share with his dormitory mates.
From then on, every time Jiang Wei had a break, he would drop by for a meal.
Of course, he didn’t come empty-handed. Sometimes he would bring some high-priced commodities that didn’t require tickets, and sometimes he brought his own dishes. He was very good at talking and was perceptive, making Xibao and Fubao very happy with his presence, always welcoming this older brother.
Right, older brother.
The kinship titles were quite a mess.
...To avoid breaking the narrative, let’s write some bits and pieces of daily life, huh