Restarting life in Siheyuan

Xie Junjie didn't dare to offend Lin Na, so he kept smiling. Zhu Xuefeng became interested in the topic of dinner. He insisted on exercising every day, so he felt the most hungry. He was already hungry now.

"Baiyangdian is rich in big fish, as well as water chestnuts, lotus pods, lotus roots, lotus stems and so on. Baoding is close, so they should have these things. You can't have them in the city."

Xie Junjie almost couldn't get up, and pointed at Zhu Xuefeng's nose.

"I told you that you are a big shot, and you really think you are a big shot. Don't you see what month it is now? It's almost November. Where can you get lotus pods and lotus stems? What dishes can be made from lotus pods? How come I have never heard of them?"

Seeing Xie Junjie getting anxious, Zhu Xuefeng continued with a smile.

"You are so petty. If you can't get it, just say you can't get it. Lotus seeds are of course best eaten raw, and you can also make porridge. I don't have lotus stems or lotus pods, but I must have lotus roots. They are not seasonal, and they are great for making soup."

"That's right. My dad said that lotus root and pork ribs soup is delicious. Unfortunately, I've only eaten it twice and haven't had it in the past few years."

Xia Yuhong immediately added that her father was from Hubei Province and always said that the lotus root soup in his hometown was delicious. Unfortunately, this is in the north, and only the Baiyangdian Lake nearby produces some lotus roots, which are indeed difficult to find.

"Okay, okay, let me be honest. Dinner has been arranged. It's normal. We'll eat whatever the guesthouse cooks. There's no choice. I don't know if there will be lotus root soup, but there will probably be wild duck. I heard Uncle Cui say on the phone that there should be some meat. With so many people going, why not get a wild duck? It shouldn't be that difficult."

After hearing what Chief of Staff Cui said, we know that there is no need to look forward to dinner. After all, the country has come up with so many solutions and imported so much grain every year to barely solve the problem of food and clothing for everyone. If you want to eat better, you have to wait a few more years.

"They are just teasing you. Everyone knows that things are not easy right now. Just fill your stomach. Xiaohong and I also brought some snacks. If you don't have enough, come to us."

Seeing that Xie Junjie was getting anxious and angry because of what the two said, Lin Na couldn't help laughing. Zhu Xuefeng and Xia Yuhong were a natural pair of bad guys. They worked together so well that they could embarrass Xie Junjie with just a few words.

After leaving the city, we soon saw four jeeps on the roadside. These kids from the big courtyards were really capable. Except for Xie Junjie who got a truck, the others each got a jeep. Not surprisingly, all of them were driven by soldiers.

Everyone got off the car and exchanged a few polite words, then rearranged the vehicles. Zhu Xuefeng took the two of them into Huang Yuanshan's car, Xie Junjie pulled Huang Yuanshan and the two little girls into Xu Mingchuan and Xiao Donghai's car, and Li Bin's car led the way in front, and the group rushed to Baoding in a mighty manner.

"Comrade, what time can we expect to arrive in Baoding?"

It's already past six o'clock, and we haven't had dinner yet, so we're really hungry.

"It will take about three and a half hours. We will definitely arrive before ten o'clock. We can drive faster during the day. We can't run at night without lights."

Xia Yuhong knew that her partner must be hungry, so she took out some snacks and a water bottle and handed them to Zhu Xuefeng who was sitting in the passenger seat.

"I know you get hungry easily, so eat some food. Don't eat too fast. This snack is dry, so go with some water."

Zhu Xuefeng took it and divided it into a few pieces, "We have more here." Lin Na said from behind.

Zhu Xuefeng gave half of it to the soldier, "I guess you haven't eaten yet, so eat something first. It's not appropriate to drive on an empty stomach."

The soldier smiled and didn't answer. He pointed to the military bag on his body and said, "I have this too. We had dinner early after receiving the mission."

"As expected, food and fodder are sent before troops move. This is a good habit. We are not like that. We hurried on the journey at night without knowing what was going on. It really caused trouble for you."

"It's not a big deal. If there's an emergency, we'll just pick up our bags and go at the command of the leader. Sometimes we'll be on the run for several days without a break or a meal, so we always have dry food in our bags and water in our kettles."

"The soldiers in the army have a hard time!" Xia Yuhong sighed in the back seat.

"It's not hard work, it's all work. The commander is the same as us. I joined the army after the liberation. I heard from the commander that they used to march all night long. They had to rely on their legs. They had to walk more than 200 miles of mountain roads in a day and a night. There was no time to rest or eat. They even had to sleep while marching. That was hard work."

"Yes, it was the older generation who suffered so much for liberation. Compared to them, we are so lucky."

Lin Na was also sighing in the back seat. She and Xia Yuhong took a trip to the southwest. Although they didn't stay there for a few days, they met the mountain people whose living conditions were far worse than those in Beijing. They warmly invited them to eat baked potatoes. Potatoes were their staple food and vegetable. They consumed two potatoes a day. Some families couldn't even afford to have baked potatoes for two meals a day.

"It will get better, just like our army, which used to rely on legs but now has wheels. It's the same with everyone's life. If people are united, they can move mountains. As long as we are united and work together, our life will definitely get better and better."

"Well, this young comrade is right. If I'm not mistaken, the things on the truck behind were designed by you."

"Well, figure out some little things yourself."

"You are amazing. You are so young and yet you can invent something. I heard from the leader that this thing is amazing. Let us protect it well."

It seems that these guys sold themselves out in order to get a car to travel far away. Zhu Xuefeng is helpless. Since everyone has come to see this, this day will come sooner or later.

Zhu Xuefeng didn't say anything else. He ate a few bites of snacks and drank a few sips of water. Seeing that Zhu Xuefeng didn't say anything, the soldier felt that he should not talk about the new invention, so he stopped talking. It got dark quickly, and the three of them fell asleep in the car. No one chatted anymore.

At around 9:40, the convoy entered Baoding, passed the guard post smoothly, and stopped directly at the guesthouse of the Radar School.

The school covers a large area, and it should be about 200 acres when observed in the dark. In addition to a three-story building behind the playground, there is also a two-story small building in front of the guesthouse. There is also a basement under the small building. The two sides of the small building are typical barracks like other buildings in the school.

The convoy had been parked in order, and I don't know when the big truck ran to the front.

"Everyone, get off the bus quickly, wash your face and go to the cafeteria to eat. You must be starving."

Li Bin shouted loudly below, and from time to time a girl would reply with a smile, "Li Bin, you bad guy, how did you arrange it? You didn't even let me eat, and I had to travel on an empty stomach at night."

"Well, I didn't think it through. Aren't there snacks in every car? If there are no snacks, it's not my fault. Go find your Xiao Donghai."

A group of people laughed together. These ten people had been playing together for a long time, regardless of age. Only Zhu Xuefeng didn't interact much with them, and it was the first time for Lin Na and Xia Yuhong to interact with them.

"Where's Xiaofeng? Come here quickly. Didn't you say you were hungry as soon as you got in the car? Let's go."

Xie Junjie got out of the car and also shouted loudly.

"I know. I'm the only one who's hungry. I don't believe that everyone else isn't hungry. Whoever tells a lie is this."

Zhu Xuefeng imitated a dog face, which made everyone laugh.

They were all boys and girls. The girls had all seen Zhu Xuefeng and had a good impression of him. When they saw that he brought two pretty girls with him this time, they greeted him warmly and soon became friends. A group of people entered the cafeteria in a mighty manner. The cafeteria had been prepared long ago and had two tables set up.

Although there were few meat dishes, there were many varieties. There were eight hot dishes, cold dishes and soups. The meat dishes were braised fish, a plate of braised small fish and shrimp, and a pickled mustard and shredded pork soup. The rest were vegetarian dishes. There was no wild duck as Xie Junjie had mentioned. But no one cared. They were already hungry, so everything tasted delicious.

Thirteen people sat around a big table, and no one was polite. At Li Bin's command, everyone started eating.

The next small table had the same dishes, but two were missing. Six soldiers were eating in silence.

"Is there one person missing?" Zhu Xuefeng quietly reminded Xie Junjie.

"Well, there's a guard on the truck. Don't worry about it. I can't say anything about this. They have their own rules."

"Oh, the discipline is really strict. This is the army's guesthouse, and we have to be on duty."

"I can't help it. My father's chief of staff arranged this. I can't move them. Eat. They will be replaced after they finish eating. Don't worry."

Zhu Xuefeng watched Lin Na and a few other girls eating and chatting in low voices, laughing happily from time to time. He also stretched out his chopsticks. He always felt that the taste of the dish was somewhat familiar, which was really strange.

Looking at the busy cooks in the distance, Zhu Xuefeng was a little skeptical. It couldn't be such a coincidence that he could have such an encounter on his first night in Baoding. In a short while, a group of people cleaned up the whole table, leaving nothing but rice and steamed buns. It was really a young boy who was eating his father out of money.

Xie Junjie quietly went to pay the food coupons and money, and when he came back he brought a cook with him. The cook wiped his hands on his apron, bent forward slightly, and asked in a low voice.

"I wonder if everyone is used to my cooking skills..."

Ignoring everyone's praise for the dishes, Zhu Xuefeng carefully observed the chef. There was no doubt that it was this person. His carefree temperament was faintly visible.

After dinner, a group of people chattered and made an appointment to go to the playground for a few laps, and naturally divided into two teams, boys and girls.

Zhu Xuefeng knew that many of the people sent by Guo Ming were also studying here, but unfortunately he had no chance to meet them. Zhu Xuefeng really wanted to know more about their learning situation, but he could not enter the campus, and it was night, so it was even more impossible to see them.

"Xiao Feng, is that thing of yours really like Xiao Jie said, it can float on the water? Isn't that a small boat?"

Xiao Donghai came over curiously and asked. Looking at several pairs of curious eyes, Zhu Xuefeng said with a smile.

"It's not wrong for you to think so. It's just a boat without a cabin. You'll understand it tomorrow when you try to sail it. It's very simple."

"How can it float without a cabin? Is it really not going to sink? Or is it like a submarine, submerged in water?"

"Haizi, don't make blind guesses. Submarines don't have cabins. You're from a naval compound. It's embarrassing. Don't tell anyone you know me when you go out."

"Xu Mingchuan, you're looking for a fight..." Xiao Donghai and Xu Mingchuan staged a wonderful chase game on the playground. From time to time, they heard female voices cheering and applause from the back, and more often, there were loud laughter.

After getting up early and having breakfast, the group excitedly rushed to Baiyangdian, which is more than 50 kilometers away from Baoding and can be reached in more than an hour. It belongs to Anxin County. Decades later, in the century-long plan, it has become a striking new district.

There are more than 130 lakes of various sizes, covering an area of ​​more than 300 square kilometers. It is indeed a good place. The convoy rushed into the lake in a mighty manner.

Li Bin and Xie Junjie have led the team down to negotiate with the team cadres. This is Yu Village in Baiyangdian. Everyone has been here before when the school organized study sessions on the Yanling Guerrillas.

"Secretary, this is our letter of introduction. We are going to do a scientific experiment here today. We are in a hurry and did not inform you in advance. Please understand and ask you to coordinate."

Zhu Xuefeng was very surprised. The letters of introduction the two men produced were formal. The village party secretary was also very happy. After checking the documents and letters of introduction, he spoke seriously.

"We promise to cooperate seriously. We can make room for this area, but there is a problem. We need to coordinate it. Who of you can accompany me?"

"What's going on? Doesn't this letter of introduction explain it all?"

Li Bin looked back at his convoy. Everyone had changed into military uniforms as required. Most of them looked like soldiers. The children from the compound usually interacted with soldiers. There was absolutely no problem with their temperament. Even for the girls, there was nothing wrong with them. Besides, it was normal for researchers to be a little different.

"No, no, comrade, you misunderstood. A movie is being filmed in Houwangyue Village. It was also made by you from Beijing. They have requisitioned a lot of our boats. If you want to do experiments on that lake, you'd better give them a heads up first. Otherwise, try another lake. In our area, there are three more places with a wide enough lake."

When Li Bin heard that he had to deal with people from the film studio, he was not very happy. Although he had seven real soldiers on his side, the other thirteen were not, and the villagers could not tell them apart. The people from the film studio all had sharp eyes and were just role-playing, and he did not want to cause any trouble.

"Forget it. We don't have any requirements for a specific location. Just an open area will do so as not to disturb their work. By the way, what are they filming? The story of the Yanling Guerrillas?"

The old branch secretary was quite proud, "You are right, it is the story of the Yanling guerrillas, but I heard that this movie is about a young guerrilla fighter, I think it is about Gazi."

Gazi was a fighting hero of the former guerrillas in Baiyangdian and was a household name in the area. After the movie was released, even Gazi's hometown was renamed Gazi Village, and a memorial hall was built.

"Oh, we've been here to study and we know a little bit. Since it's for publicity purposes, we won't bother you. We can move to the area in front of Xiaozhang Village. That's enough for our experiments. Tell everyone not to go into that area. Our people will also be on guard to avoid any misunderstandings."

"Don't worry, we'll arrange for militia to set up another layer outside to ensure that not even a duck can get in. You guys take a break first, I'll go and set up the arrangements now, and by the way, have someone notify the comrades filming the movie not to accidentally enter the experiment site."

"That's not necessary. The militia should withdraw as well. We have people watching over us, so nothing will happen."

Seeing Li Bin's insistence and seeing several soldiers carrying semi-automatic submachine guns, the village party secretary did not insist any longer.

After waiting for a long time for the village party secretary to make all the arrangements and the villagers to leave the scene, Zhu Xuefeng, with the help of the soldiers, directed the unloading of the large wooden boxes. They were carefully opened in front of everyone, and two tightly wrapped large guys appeared in front of everyone. After peeling off the layers of protection and packaging, the two guys, which were 40% to 50% similar to large scooters, revealed their true appearance.

"It really is a motorcycle, except it has no wheels, it's almost the same."

Xie Junjie pulled Xiao Donghai and whispered, "It looks like we can complete the task smoothly this time. As long as this thing does not sink in the water and can run, it will be a miracle. You will lose."

"Okay, if you can really run, I'll treat you to a meal next time. It's no big deal. I'm happy to pay for it. Haha."

"What are you talking about? You two, hurry up and help get it onto the boat. Even though this thing is small, it's really not light. Xiaofeng, is this thing really not going to sink? It's so heavy!"

"Li Bin, don't complain about the baby being heavy if you are not energetic. Brother Feng, please don't argue with our Li Bin."

Tang Xiaoyue, who was not far away, saw that Li Bin was too disgusted and did not give his target any face, so she started to scold him directly.

"Hahaha."

Li Bin said unhappily, "You don't come to lend a hand, and it's hard for two people to lift it."

"Xiao Feng, I think this and that racing motorboat are not the same thing. The size and style are also different."

Xu Mingchuan happened to have watched a motorboat race, and this one was obviously different. He originally thought it was something similar.

"The principles are similar. They both float on the water and rely on the engine to drive the propeller. Of course, the details are a little different. The biggest difference is that the other one is for competition, and mine is for fun, haha."

The domestic motorboat project started in 58, and the first competition was held at the East Lake in Wuchang. However, few people knew about this news, and there was no live TV broadcast, so information dissemination was very slow.

At this time, in everyone's eyes, the only boats that can stay on the water are those in the traditional sense. The motorboats in the competition are generally longer, at least three meters, and some are even longer, which is obviously different from this one.

The motorboat project has begun to develop rapidly in Europe and the United States, but it is expensive and is still a game for the nobility at this stage. Zhu Xuefeng borrowed the appearance and function of the water motorcycle used for marine entertainment in later generations, which reduced the weight a lot, was cheap to manufacture, and had excellent performance. The 300cc displacement easily ran at a high speed of 100 kilometers in the last time in Bahe. (The 300CC in later generations can reach a top speed of more than 140 kilometers).

Everyone carefully got one guy onto the boat. Fortunately, the boat the village party secretary found was suitable and could fit the unpacked jet ski.

"You guys take the boat, and I'll drive this and follow you."

The second car would definitely not be able to get on the boat, but Zhu Xuefeng was well prepared. He took out three raincoats and three sets of orange plastic things from a small box, puffed up his cheeks, and blew them up hard. After a while, three inflatable vests were ready.

"Would you two like to come with me in this thing, or would you like to follow them in the boat?"

Lin Na looked at the three inflatable vests, and then at Xia Yuhong who was eager to try them out. "You two can sit down. It's a bit crowded. Three people can't squeeze in wearing these. I'd better take the boat and wait for you."

Lin Na was still very sensible, so Zhu Xuefeng had to look at her apologetically and said, "I'll take you to the sea in Xiangjiang, and I guarantee you'll have a great time."

In Lin Na's mind, this thing should be slower than a boat with an engine. After all, it is too small, so she thought about going to the front and waiting for them.

"Xiaohong, let Xiaona take our shoes over, and you sit here with me." (End of this chapter)