nycdaug Chapter 51: It's not the wine that intoxicates, it's the person who gets drunk; I feel sor
Chapter 51: It's not the wine that intoxicates, it's the person who gets drunk; I feel sor
Shu Yun hurriedly prepared the evening's feast, starting with the young hen she had just bought. However, despite being in a cage, the hen's sharp beak and fierce eyes made it difficult for Shu Yun to prepare it.
She lingered near the chicken coop for a long time, gritted her teeth, put on a pair of burlap gloves, and tried to approach the little hen.
For a moment, the yard was filled with the clucking of chickens, and a few chicken feathers were floating in the air. Fortunately, Shu Yun finally managed to grab one of its wings.
While holding the hen tightly, she whispered, "Little chick, little chick, be good. I'll cut you down and you'll be free. It won't hurt, not at all."
It's unclear whether Shu Yun was comforting the little hen or herself with these words.
After saying that, Shu Yun took a deep breath. She almost inhaled a chicken feather into her nose and gasped for breath for a long time. Fortunately, she held the hen tightly and prevented it from escaping.
It was Shu Yun's first time killing a live chicken, and she was unsure of herself. She closed her eyes, steeled her resolve, and slashed the knife downwards. The little hen immediately let out a pitiful squawk, and in an instant, all the free-range chickens within a few miles scattered and fled, including the big rooster that woke Shu Yun up at the same time every morning. They ran away incredibly fast, almost taking flight.
Shu Yun opened her eyes, embarrassed and at a loss, looking at the screaming hen in front of her. Her knife hadn't killed the hen quickly; instead, it had been subjected to a slow and painful death. The little hen was flapping its wings desperately, blood splattering everywhere. Shu Yun also had a few chicken feathers stuck to her head, making her look extremely disheveled.
"Pfft, I could hear the noise from your house from far away."
"Let me do it." Tian Xiufen walked over with a smile, took the cleaver from Shu Yun, and held the chicken wing in one hand.
The little hen that had been frantically flapping its wings in Shu Yun's hands suddenly became much more docile in Tian Xiufen's hands. Shu Yun watched as Tian Xiufen held the knife with effortless ease, and with a swift stroke, the chicken's neck was cut open, and a large amount of blood gushed out.
Tian Xiufen said to Shu Yun, "Keep the chicken blood going."
Shu Yun quickly picked up the basin and caught the chicken blood.
After a short while, the little hen stopped moving completely. Shu Yun breathed a long sigh of relief and said to Tian Xiufen, "Thank you, sister-in-law. I'll take care of the rest."
Tian Xiufen pointed to her right cheek, "Leave this to me, you go wash your face first, it's all blood from the scrapes." As she spoke, she reached out and took a chicken feather from the top of Shu Yun's head.
Shu Yun felt embarrassed and had no choice but to wash up in a basin again. When she came out, Tian Xiufen had already plucked all the chicken feathers cleanly.
Shu Yun took the work from her hands, and Tian Xiufen picked up the package that had just been placed on the ground. "Come and eat. I didn't bring much, so please don't mind."
Seeing that it was a large jar of pickled cabbage, Shu Yun hurriedly declined, saying, "I came here to treat you to a meal, how can I accept your gift?"
Tian Xiufen didn't move, but deliberately kept a straight face and said, "Are you disrespecting your sister-in-law by complaining that my gift is not presentable?"
"How could that be?" Shu Yun was both amused and exasperated, and could only take the sauerkraut. "Perfect timing, I bought some pork, so I'll make sauerkraut and pork slices with the sauerkraut later."
Tian Xiufen laughed and said, "That's great! If it's not enough, I'll go back and get more."
Shu Yun quickly stopped her, "That's enough, we can't finish it all."
Tian Xiufen stayed to help Shu Yun. Seeing that Shu Yun had already rinsed the rice and was about to steam it, she hurriedly said, "This is hardly enough for those grown men. Besides, it's such a waste to use only refined rice. I see you still have some brown rice at home. Just mix it all together and cook it."
As she spoke, Tian Xiufen got to work, saying, "No, do we still have any flour? I'll make some steamed buns now, otherwise it might not be enough."
Shu Yun was salting the chopped chicken pieces when she heard this and told Tian Xiufen where the cupboard was. "Sister-in-law, you have more experience than me, you can keep an eye on it for me."
Tian Xiufen kneaded the dough. "Okay, leave it to me. I guarantee there won't be any problems tonight."
The two were busy in the kitchen when several more military wives arrived. "We're late! They're already up and running?"
Shu Yun hurriedly stepped forward to greet them, "It's not late, it's not late, sisters-in-law, please come in and sit down."
Chen Jianhua walked in with a smile and put the things he brought on the table. "I brought these salted duck eggs and preserved eggs that I made myself for you to try."
Li Jianqing and the others also took out the things they had brought, some were desserts and candies, and some were freshly picked vegetables that were still tender and juicy.
Shu Yun was touched and quickly poured tea for them. "Sisters-in-law, you're too kind. We were just treating you to a simple meal, but you all brought gifts. It's as if I'm the one who's profiting."
The group burst into laughter. Li Jianqing was the first to enter the living room and the first to see the giant mural painted on the front of the room. He exclaimed in surprise. The room was filled with lush greenery, as if he had stepped into summer. The verdant greenery was full of vitality and the joy of life, which complemented the sofa covers, white gauze curtains, and vases on the table.
Li Jianqing stepped forward and touched it with his hand, "It's not a picture that's pasted on."
Shu Yun: "I drew this when I was bored."
Everyone was amazed. "It's really well drawn!"
Shu Yun humbly replied, "I studied art for a few years before, so I have some basic knowledge."
Upon seeing this, Chen Jianhua suggested, "I heard that the propaganda department is short-staffed. Someone like you would be perfect for the job. Why don't you give it a try?"
Shu Yun shook her head. "A comrade surnamed Wu came by before and said that the propaganda department has already recruited people."
"I see." Chen Jianhua said thoughtfully.
The topic was quickly moved on, and everyone chatted for a while before helping Shu Yun with chores. Some moved tables, others cooked dishes. This little courtyard hadn't been this lively since Shu Yun moved in.
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Before long, wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys of every household in the residential compound. The setting sun cast its orange glow across the sky. As night gradually fell, the men stepped into the courtyard, bathed in the last rays of the setting sun.
Chen Tiejun said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, I'm really sorry to bother you today."
"Where is it."
Shu Yun quickly followed Gu Jun and invited everyone to take their seats. There were two and a half tables set up in the courtyard, one for men, one for women, and a small table specially prepared for the children.
Shu Yun said warmly, "Please sit down, everyone. The food will be ready soon."
After she asked her sisters-in-law to sit down, she went to the kitchen by herself. Gu Jun followed her, saying, "I'll go help."
The men burst into laughter instantly, and one of them joked, "Little Gu is really different now. Look how clingy he is to his wife; he can't be without her for even a moment."
Soon, Shu Yun and Gu Jun brought out a variety of delicious dishes. There were quite a few dishes, including several main meat dishes. The braised pork belly was a beautiful red color, with each piece of meat cut to a suitable size, with a perfect balance of fat and lean meat, making one's mouth water just by looking at it. The braised mushroom and chicken pieces combined the umami of the mushrooms with the tenderness of the chicken in a perfect way. The pickled cabbage and pork slices had just the right amount of sourness, making them very appetizing.
Other dishes included stuffed tofu, cabbage and vermicelli, steamed egg custard, and stir-fried potatoes and green peppers—ordinary dishes, yet exceptionally delicious. When the drunkard was served, a large bowl of steaming hot steamed buns was presented.
"Sister-in-law's cooking is absolutely amazing, Xiao Gu, you're really lucky." Zhao Hui joked as he ate, not caring that the braised pork was still steaming hot. He took a bite and found it so sweet and delicious that he almost swallowed his tongue.
While they were enjoying their meal, Chen Tiejun pulled a bottle of wine from under the table and said, "Come on, it's been a long time since we brothers have had a drink together."
Tomorrow is a day off, but many people will be on duty at the military camp, so they can't overindulge in alcohol. Everyone only took a few sips, and then all their anger was directed at Gu Jun.
"Xiao Gu, you have a day off tomorrow, so feel free to drink."
Gu Jun can drink, but he doesn't usually drink much. He had just finished a glass of wine when his brothers next to him enthusiastically refilled it. Just as he was about to stop them, Chen Tiejun immediately said, "Hey, you're the host, how can you refuse a drink? Drink!"
The men were drinking enthusiastically, clinking glasses and creating a lively atmosphere. The women, on the other hand, were much quieter, occasionally glancing at their precocious children and chatting about the gossip and interesting things happening in the yard.
Seeing Gu Jun drinking one glass after another, Shu Yun couldn't help but advise him, "Drink less, drinking too much is bad for your health."
This immediately drew teasing from everyone. Someone laughed and said, "She's showing concern for her husband. Xiao Gu, you'd better treat your wife well; a wife as good as her is hard to find even with a lantern."
The officer surnamed Zheng, who was watching the commotion with amusement, poured Gu Jun another glass and then poured another glass for Shu Yun, saying, "Sister-in-law, have a drink too. Let's all have some fun together."
Shu Yun couldn't hold her liquor. The original owner of this body was a well-behaved girl who had never touched a drop of alcohol since childhood. But now that the atmosphere had reached this point, Shu Yun didn't want to spoil the fun, so she took the glass and took a small sip. She immediately felt a burning sensation in her stomach and felt a bit choked.
Shu Yun intended to down the wine in one gulp, but Gu Jun quickly took the glass away. "She can't drink, I'll do it." Gu Jun's expression was normal as he raised his hand and drank the wine in one go.
"Oh dear, Commander Gu is feeling sorry for his wife."
Everyone burst into laughter. The child sitting at the small table, not understanding why, also giggled along.
A cacophony of teasing voices filled the air, intoxicating everyone without the wine itself. Shu Yun, who had only taken a sip of wine, remained flushed throughout the second half of the evening.