Five years of marriage, always separated [1970s]

□□’s hat was too big, Liu Qing didn’t dare to take it, and was so angry that her face turned red: "Nonsense, you are unreasonable! I don’t have time to talk nonsense with you!" After that, she ran home.

Liu Guihua asked a few people who were close to Liu Qing: "Do you also think that burning paper is promoting feudal superstition?"

Several people said in unison: "We didn't say that."

Liu Guihua thought to herself that I don’t think you would dare to do that.

The tactics of exaggerating things are useful for the descendants of rich peasants, landlords, and capitalists. They are useless for the children of workers, peasants, and soldiers of worker and peasant origin. Ye Fan dared to burn paper at the intersection - he was not afraid of being a big deal, not because of Geng Zhiye, nor because of the Ye family, but because of his origin - Ye's father's ancestors were scholars, Chen Kuanren was a worker, and both his biological father and adoptive father's family could withstand open and secret investigations.

Ye Fan didn't say who she was burning paper for. She wanted to say it was for Chen's grandparents - Chen Kuanren's parents were oppressed workers in the old times. No matter where Liu Qing reported it, she would be scolded - it was making a big deal out of nothing!
However, in Liu Guihua's opinion, it is best not to burn paper.

Liu Guihua glared at the people who loved to spread rumors and went to find Ye Fan.

There was still a stack of paper money next to Ye Fan, so Liu Guihua said, "Burn these first, and don't burn any more."

"Who said what?" Ye Fan asked.

Liu Guihua was so shocked that she lost her composure. She was too smart and alert. But Ye Fan must have had to burn paper at the intersection. Did she dream about her ancestors?

Liu Guihua had dreamed twice. Once, the house was leaking. Liu Guihua woke up and looked at the roof. She thought, it wasn't raining, so where is it leaking? She told her mother-in-law about it. Her mother-in-law took her to the cemetery. The grave of Captain Niu's grandmother collapsed. The reason why she had a dream was because the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were not in harmony when the old lady was alive. Another time was two years ago. She dreamed that her dead father-in-law asked her to follow the army. Liu Guihua murmured when she woke up. There was a family area for her to follow the army, but how could she follow without family housing? About four or five days later, Liu Guihua received a telegram from Captain Niu, asking her to pack her luggage and transfer her child to another school.

Such things are more like promoting feudal superstition than burning paper. Liu Guihua was worried that someone with sharp ears would hear it and make a fuss about it, so she didn't ask her why: "Liu Qing said you promoted feudal superstition."

Ye Fan chuckled: "That's all she is capable of."

Liu Guihua nodded: "Fortunately, she never went to school. She had to look up words in a dictionary when writing to her family. And she was born in the countryside. If she were in the city, with her tolerance, she would have persecuted countless people for personal revenge."

Ye Fan: "Don't pay any attention to her. The more you care about a person like her, the more excited she will be. I knew about it but I didn't do anything. She has to be on guard against me when she's cooking or sleeping. It's more torturous than slapping her twice."

Liu Guihua is straightforward: "You have a good temper. I can't stand it if it's me."

Ye Fan shook his head: "She didn't come to me. If she came to me, I would have slapped her mouth crooked."

Liu Guihua thought that she didn't dare to say anything nonsense in front of you. Thinking of this, Liu Guihua couldn't help but slap her leg: "I shouldn't tell you. Isn't this just annoying you."

Ye Fan smiled nonchalantly, burned the last stack of paper money and stood up: "Let's go."

Liu Guihua suddenly remembered that today was the weekend: "You are here, where are Dabao and Erbao?"

Ye Fan looked towards the north and said, "They went to play with the children of the Shanxi Brigade members. I wanted to follow them and burn the fire at night. The wife of the brigade leader said that she was tidying up the land on the side of the road and she would watch those children so that they would not go up the mountain."

Liu Guihua: "My two kids must be here too. They don't do their homework and don't come home on Sundays. What can they learn?"

Ye Fan thought, it doesn't matter how her own child dislikes her, but she will definitely be unhappy if others dislike her: "It's all the same. Dabao looks obedient, but that's just appearance. When he and Erbao go out, either I or Geng Zhiye follows, because they like to pretend to obey but actually disobey."

Liu Guihua shook her head: "Your Dabao is not naughty, he is brave. He is seven years old this year, right?"

Ye Fan: "Seven years old by the end of the year."

Liu Guihua calculated: "At the age of six and a half, he dared to climb trees. I encountered this once a few days ago. He put his schoolbag on Erbao and wanted to climb the tree to pick peach blossoms. I scolded him and told him to go home quickly. He looked at me with wide eyes and waited for me to leave. I stayed there with him. Maybe he was afraid that you would scold him if he went back too late, so after a while he muttered something and took Erbao away."

Ye Fan: "No wonder you didn't let me pick you up."

Liu Guihua: "You have to pick him up. Erbao didn't say a word at the time. He looked very well behaved, but he was actually quite timid. If it was any other child, he would have cried if I had just threatened him."

Ye Fan: "She's very brave. Maybe it's because my mom and mother-in-law often take her and Dabao out to play, so they are not shy at all." Looking at his watch, it was eleven o'clock. Ye Fan planned to go into the village to find Dabao and Erbao, so he asked Liu Guihua if she wanted to go.

Liu Guihua nodded and went with her to the Shanxi Brigade.

Walking through the family quarters, Ye Fan saw children on the road and on the roadside, but Dabao and Erbao were not there. Ye Fan walked up to them and asked, "Have you seen Geng Dabao?"

The child sitting on the tree branch lowered his head and said, "Geng Dabao and Geng Erbao have returned home."

Ye Fan was surprised: "Going home?"

The child pointed at the path and said, "Just got home. Geng Erbao is hungry."

Liu Guihua asked the child in the tree if he had seen her two children. The child shook his head, and the child under the tree said he had gone to play with Liao Dadi.

Just now, Ye Fan and Liu Guihua passed by the door of Liao's house. The door of Liao's house was closed, so he must not be at home. Liu Guihua was panicked: "Is he going to the beach?" After saying that, she ran away, remembering that she came with Ye Fan: "Accountant Ye, I——"

Ye Fan interrupted: "Go quickly."

Liu Guihua ran to the beach again.

Ye Fan locked the door before she came, fearing that Dabao and Erbao would not be able to find her and go to the beach. She did not dare to hesitate and ran to the door of her house. She heard Dabao say, "Sister, wait for me, I'll close the door."

Ye Fan put his hands on his waist and took a breath: "Where are you going to close the door?"

The two children turned around and exclaimed, "Mom!"

Ye Fan pushed the door open: "Go home."

Erbao chased his mother, and Dabao closed the gate.

When Ye Fan got home, he poured water to make milk powder: "You two should drink some first to fill your stomach."

Dabao was surprised: "How did mom know we were hungry?"

Ye Fan: "I'm going to the village to look for you. Your good friend said Erbao is hungry. Also, don't go into the alleys anymore. Take the main road instead."

Dabao immediately realized that they had lost touch with their mother. "Mom, it's time to cook."

Ye Fan asked, "Fry clams with duck eggs? Heat up some steamed buns and cook lotus seed soup?"

Dabao nodded: "Where's Dad?"

Ye Fan: "Your father went to help the uncles repair the house."

Dabao couldn't help but ask, "Dad is so busy today? He went to the martyrs' graves and repaired the house?"

Ye Fan was speechless. What should he say? Should he say that the house she was talking about was the martyrs' grave? Ye Fan avoided the house and said, "Dad still has training this afternoon."

Dabao: "The team leader also needs training?"

Ye Fan nodded: "The commander can't sit in the office every day."

Dabao wrinkled his nose and said, "No wonder Daddy stinks sometimes, and his clothes and shoes are covered in mud. Mom, you have it the easiest in our family."

Ye Fan: "Dad works harder than me, and you guys working in school every day is also harder than me working. But, Geng Dabao, have you forgotten that mommy still has to wash clothes and cook for you and your sister?"

Geng Dabao forgot.

Ye Fan grabbed his ears and said, "You little heartless guy. Apologize to me."

Dabao immediately said sorry, and then asked his sister to say sorry too. Erbao shook his head: "I didn't say that mommy has it easy. Mommy is the hardest working! She even makes milk powder for Erbao."

Dabao: "Flatterer!"

Erbao put down the cup: "Mom, you cook and I'll light the fire."

Dabao got up and ran to the kitchen, grabbed the stove bench, and shook his head proudly at Erbao. Erbao was so angry that he ran over and hit him, and then pushed him: "Get up, my bench!"

Ye Fan: "Is your name written on the bench? Geng Erbao, there is a small bench in the living room. If you want to sit on it, move it yourself."

Move it if you want! Erbao angrily went to the living room to get a bench and squeezed in next to her brother. Ye Fan had a headache and carried her to the outside: "Sit here. You don't know how to light a fire, so I'll light it for you to put in the firewood. Don't put in so much at a time."

Dabao nodded: "If you put too much smoke and it can't get out, it will be like a fire. Mom, right?"

Ye Fan raised his hand.

Dabao hurriedly covered his head and said, "Just kidding."

Ye Fan glared at him and turned on the stove to cook porridge. When the lotus seeds boiled, Ye Fan put the sieve on to heat the steamed bread, half-sealed the stove, and cooked it slowly over low heat. Then he asked Dabao to light the fire. She poured a ladle of water into the pot and added a few slices of ginger. After the water boiled, Ye Fan poured the cleaned clams into it. When the clams opened, Ye Fan took the meat off and mixed it with the duck egg liquid.

Dabao looked at the eggshell and asked, "Mom, how many eggs are left?"

Ye Fan: "There are many more."

Dabao was surprised: "Why are there eggs every day?"

Ye Fan: "In the past, chicken and duck eggs could not be sold on the shore to cover the round-trip gas bill, so people who had to farm and fish did not like to raise them. Now the food factory buys them all and sends them out, several thousand at a time, as well as preserved eggs and salted duck eggs. The money earned is enough to cover the round-trip gas bill, and sometimes there is even more money, so people like to raise chickens and ducks. With more chickens and ducks, there will naturally be more eggs. There is no purchase limit at the vegetable market this year. You and Erbao can eat as much as you want."

Dabao couldn't help but say, "No wonder there are eggs every morning. Mom, does Dad have any?"

Ye Fan: "Probably. One every one or two days."

Dabao asked in surprise: "Only one every two days?"

Ye Fan: "It's not that your father is stingy, but the military budget doesn't allow it. In addition to eggs, we also have to buy meat. Eating fish and eggs every day makes people feel tired. We also have to buy rice, flour and vegetables. None of them can be missing. Otherwise, we can't go out for drills and training every day."

Dabao probably understood: "Mom——"

Erbao couldn't help but say, "It smells so good."

Dabao sniffed and smelled the fragrance. He stood up and saw the eggs in the pot were golden on both sides. He wanted to ask if they were cooked, but then he saw his mother taking a plate. Dabao immediately pulled his sister to pull the table and put the stools in, and then the brother and sister washed their hands. Ye Fan brought the food to the table and picked up the towel hanging on the wall to wipe their hands: "Sit down. Mom will serve the soup."

Dabao picked up the steamed bun, took a bite and then picked up some vegetables.

Erbao's little hands were too weak to hold the food and half of it fell off, so she picked it up and stuffed it into her mouth.

Ye Fan: "Are you so hungry?"

The brother and sister nodded vigorously, wolfing down half a plate of food and half a steamed bun before they slowed down. Ye Fan asked them to stop and drink some lotus seed soup before eating.

The brother and sister were tired of eating, so they took a spoon to scoop up some soup and a lotus seed. They took a sip and were surprised. They asked in unison: "Is it sweet?"

Ye Fan: "The lotus seeds were grown by the Lotus Brigade. You saw them last year."

Dabao asked: "Have you seen grandma and grandma too?"

Ye Fan nodded: "Is it delicious? If you like it, mom will make it often."

Dabao likes it very much: "It tastes better than jujubes. It's soft and sticky. Mom, do we have lotus seeds at home?"

"Yes." Ye Fan bought several dozen kilograms last year and put them in a wooden barrel. He would take it out every few days to let it ventilate to prevent it from getting moldy or infested with insects.

At first Ye Fan didn't plan to buy so much.

Lotus seeds have lotus seeds in them, and Ye Fan was worried that the people in the capital would not like to eat them because they were too troublesome, so in mid-November of the lunar calendar last year, he asked Su Duofu and Su Yuncheng to send half of them, and asked Su Yuanhang to go to Shanghai. The two supply and marketing cooperatives that Chen Xiaohui contacted each wanted 100 kilograms of lotus seeds for trial sales.

The money earned from the two hundred kilograms barely covered the round-trip travel expenses, and Su Yuanhang didn't want to make another trip. Ye Fan asked him to go there in the morning and go to the garment factory in the afternoon. The garment factory saw that Su Yuanhang's duck and goose feathers were as clean as Chen Xiaohui said, so they said it was too late this year, and next year they would give priority to buying duck and goose feathers from Hengshan Island, and also sign a letter of intent.

The duck and goose feathers were sold, but what should be done with the remaining half of the lotus seeds? Ye Fan asked Su Yuanhang to send them to the vegetable market.

The Lotus Brigade was the only one on the island that had lotus seeds. Members of other brigades who had some money had to buy them if they wanted to eat them. In the past, they would just bear with it. Laba Festival was approaching, and lotus seeds were not very expensive, so they bought three taels and half a pound to cook Laba porridge.

Ye Fan knew that many people were staring at her, so she deliberately bought a lot of things, as generously as she bought rice and noodles.

If she bought one pound, people who envied her would say that Accountant Ye was just like her. Or that she was as petty as her biological mother and father. If Ye Fan bought too much, some people would say that Ye Fan was rich, and maybe she was spending money from Chen Xiaohui's family - Tao Chunlan.

But Ye Fan bought too little, and other military wives would think that Captain Geng’s salary was so high that even Accountant Ye couldn’t bear to eat it, so we just bought two taels to try it. Ye Fan bought half a bucket at a time, and those who knew how to live would be embarrassed to buy half a catty.

As Ye Fan expected, after Laba Festival, the comrade selling lotus seeds told her that the family area alone bought 100 kilograms. Of course, the lion's share went to Ye Fan. If Ye Fan hadn't bought dozens of kilograms, the family area would have lost a zero.

In the evening, Ye Fan talked about this with Geng Zhiye and asked, "Am I robbing the rich to help the poor?"

Geng Zhiye reminded Ye Fan that she was the richest because she bought the most.

Ye Fan replied: "Lotus seeds are good things. Besides, there is still more than half a year before the lotus seed harvest next year, and a few dozen kilograms may not be enough."

Now it seems that dozens of kilograms are too much, unless you do it once every three or two days.

Ye Fan could make it every day if she had time, but sugar was a strategic commodity and the purchase was limited. However, the lotus seed soup was so bland that she didn't even want to drink it, let alone Dabao and Erbao.

Ye Fan decided to ask others how to cook lotus seeds tomorrow.

The next day, not long after Ye Fan arrived at the food factory, Su Yuanhang came over on his newly bought bike and gave Ye Fan a telegram - the postman had delivered it to the commune that morning, saying that the capital had asked them to send three trucks by the end of April.

Ye Fan nodded: "Let's send three trucks at a time. Three trucks of seafood or canned goods and other things?"

Su Yuanhang: "Next month is the International Labor Day. Except for those units and departments that need to be on duty, everyone should have a holiday. Do you need canned food when visiting relatives and friends?"

Ye Fan: "Then take a few dozen boxes of canned food and two hundred kilograms of ready-to-eat dried fish. Oh, and ask them if they still need lotus seeds. There are still one hundred kilograms in the warehouse. We can plant as much this year as we did last year."

Su Yuanhang frowned: "Didn't Shencheng say that our lotus seeds are very popular?"

After Laba, two supply and marketing cooperatives in Shanghai wrote to say that 100 kilograms of lotus seeds were too few and they were sold out on the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month. They wanted to send a telegram, but were afraid that they would have sold out by the seventh day. So they held a meeting and decided to order 200 kilograms next year.

If Ye Fan hadn't rubbed his eyes to confirm three times, he would have thought they wanted 2,000 jin just by the tone. They had the nerve to hold a meeting to decide on 200 jin. With so many residents around a supply and marketing cooperative, two liang per family would be more than 200 jin.

Ye Fan shook his head. "Last year was the first year we sold lotus seeds. Everyone thought it was new, and members with more money bought one or two kilograms. They won't buy that much this year. Lotus seeds can be eaten or not. They are not like corn or sweet potatoes that can fill your stomach. Secondly, lotus seeds need to be picked to remove the core. I am too lazy to do it as I only work half a day, let alone members who have to go fishing after doing farm work. I asked the comrades in the vegetable market how to cook lotus seeds, and it turned out that they can be used to make porridge or soup. The soup still uses ingredients like wolfberry and red dates, which can be added or not. Some comrades also said that they can be used to make cakes. Who can do that? Ordinary workers in Shanghai and the capital don't have time. Rich people have many choices and don't care about lotus seeds."

If Su Yuanhang had to choose, he would rather buy lotus root. Lotus root can be used for cooking and making soup, and it is cheaper than lotus seeds. Lotus root does not need to be soaked before cooking, and the lotus core does not need to be picked out.

Su Yuanhang: "But the members want more variety."

Ye Fan: "We are only responsible for the sales of last year's lotus seeds. Let them figure out how to sell the extra ones themselves."

The members of the Lotus Brigade were busy raising seedlings and preparing the land a few days ago. They have been cleaning the pond in the past few days and plan to plant lotus roots in two days. If rice was not a priority, they would have planted it before Qingming Festival.

Su Yuanhang thought that they might be planting lotus roots today, so he immediately said, "I'll go back now."

Arriving at the lotus pond, Su Yuanhang saw that there were more people there today than in the previous days, and he knew without asking that they were planting lotus roots today. Su Yuanhang went to the team leader and told him that this year's crop was the same as last year, with a 30:70 split.

A member of the cooperative who was passing by the two of them holding farm tools stopped and asked: "Didn't you say that lotus roots and lotus seeds should be split in half?"

Su Yuanhang shook his head: "70% lotus root and 30% lotus seeds."

The captain frowned and said, "But lotus roots are cheap and hard to sell. The lotus seeds can be shipped out once, but the lotus roots need to be shipped many times. If the troops hadn't eaten lotus roots for half a month last year, we would have to make lotus root powder again."

Su Yuanhang: "If we can't sell all the lotus seeds this year, you'll have to drink lotus seed soup every day. The army won't help you eat. All the people in the kitchen squad don't do any work. The lotus seeds we pick in a day are not enough for one meal."

The captain realized belatedly: "No wonder they didn't buy lotus seeds from us. But——"

Su Yuanhang: "Accountant Ye said that her ability is limited. You have to figure out a way to deal with the extra lotus seeds. You can go to the Hangzhou Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Anyway, you can make a round trip in a day."

The captain is reluctant to spend this money.

A member who was listening to the conversation asked, "Can't we ask Accountant Ye to think of another solution?"

Su Yuanhang: "Accountant Ye bought several dozen kilograms last year. Now there is more than half left! Accountant Ye said that she would buy one kilogram this year."

Members shut up.

The team leader touched his nose uncomfortably, and under Su Yuanhang's uncompromising gaze, he asked the members to stop in the crowded areas and continue planting as they did last year.

Su Duofu was not far from Su Yuanhang. After the captain left, he came over and gave a thumbs up: "You should have been so tough a long time ago."

Su Yuanhang: "You don't agree with expanding planting?"

Su Duofu shook his head. "Whether it's Shanghai or the capital, they don't have to rely on us. In the capital, they can import seafood from the east coast of the capital. Shanghai is even simpler, and lotus roots can be grown in the suburbs. It's just that they don't dare to sell directly to the supply and marketing cooperatives, so they don't grow them on a large scale. Yuncheng and I went to the capital twice and heard that the masses had a lot of complaints and often marched. Who knows what will happen in the future. It's better to be cautious."

Su Yuanhang nodded: "Although Accountant Ye said when he asked us to ship the goods that we couldn't wait until tomorrow, he seemed very anxious, but he is very cautious when it comes to planting and fishing."

Su Duofu: "They are well-informed. When it's in the newspaper, we'll know that everything is settled."

Su Yuanhang said, "I hope Captain Geng can stay on this island for a few more years. By the way, go get some wrapping paper in a few days and buy a bag of Tremella for Accountant Ye. And see if there are any large pieces of old rock sugar. I can tell even without her saying it that she is worried about how to eat the lotus seeds. She doesn't know about this, so when you give them to her, I will definitely give you the money."

Ye Fan had never eaten Tremella and Lotus Seed Soup in her life, so she had never thought of making this. When she received the Tremella, she was surprised and delighted. Seeing the large pieces of old rock sugar, Ye Fan was curious: "Is there no purchase limit for this thing?"

Su Duofu: "This stuff is easier to buy. Sugar is not an option. Our entire family can only buy one kilogram with our combined share."

Ye Fan: "There are four people in my family. But my eldest and second child like to drink lotus seed soup with sugar. I was worrying about what to do after the sugar is finished. Your gift is really timely. With white fungus, the lotus seed soup will not be so bland. Just add a little bit of sugar." As he said this, he handed him ten yuan.

Su Duofu waved his hand: "Not so much, Tremella is cheap. The comrades at the urban supply and marketing cooperative said it was from a year ago. It's cloudy and rainy recently, you should eat it quickly."

Ye Fan thanked him again and asked him how he got here. Su Duofu pointed to the car outside the door and said, "It's Yuanhang's car. Accountant Ye, if there's nothing else, I'll go back. It looks like it's going to rain again, so you should go back too."

Recently, the sun often shines brightly in the morning, but the weather suddenly changes after 4 o'clock, with thunder and lightning around 5 o'clock. Geng Zhiye has not been able to come home for two days because of this - as soon as he left the office, it rained heavily, and people couldn't open their eyes.

Last night, Geng Zhiye got home and started cursing, "Who said the spring rain is as fine as silk?"

Dabao was also adding to the confusion: "The peach blossoms were all washed into the soil by the rain."

Ye Fan didn't want to talk to Dabao about climbing trees, but when he heard Dabao's words, he asked him if he wanted to climb trees to pick peach blossoms. Dabao was so scared that he covered his mouth and ran out. Geng Zhiye grabbed him and went to the bedroom to talk.

At this time, Erbao wanted to find a hole in the ground to crawl into, with the words "Can't see me, can't see me" written above his head.

Thinking of what happened yesterday, Ye Fan smiled, locked the door, and went home with white fungus and rock sugar to make white fungus and lotus seed soup.

As it got dark, Ye Fan served the food on the table. Geng Zhiye came back and saw the Tremella Soup and couldn't help asking, "Have you entered the city?"

Ye Fan shook his head. "Su Duofu bought it. This Tremella is good, and it's gelatinous. Dabao, Erbao, try the Tremella soup first."

Dabao took a bite and shook his head: "It's just a little sweet, no other taste."

Ye Fan: "What flavor do you want? I'll add some chili peppers tomorrow?"

Geng Zhiye almost choked: "What a creative idea! How can you mix sweet and spicy together?"

Ye Fan: "Lotus seeds are white, white fungus is a little yellow, and adding red pepper to garnish it really looks good. Geng Dabao, thank you for your reminder. I will make pepper, white fungus and lotus seed soup tomorrow."

Dabao bowed and begged for mercy: "Mom, I was wrong. I like sweet Tremella soup the most!"

(End of this chapter)