Nanjing in the summer is undoubtedly a torturous time.
Nanjing’s reputation as a “stove” is by no means unfounded.
Entering summer in Nanjing, ordinary people are still busy going to work, sweating profusely in factories, and working hard for the whole family.
Officials and businessmen were sitting in their offices, turning the fans to the highest setting and letting the fan blades rotate.
Those who are more sophisticated will get big ice cubes and put them in the footbath, so that the cool breeze blows out.
If you have a cup of sour plum soup with crushed ice at this time, it will be like a fairy's life.
It's a pity that this kind of sour plum soup is not affordable for ordinary people.
The most people can do is grit their teeth and give their children a piece of ice cream.
Meng Shaoyuan, who has a refrigerator at home, puts two bottles of beer and half a watermelon in the refrigerator before going out. When he comes back, he blows on the fan, drinks cold beer, eats iced watermelon, and gives him a president He may not even be willing to do it.
After a busy day of training outside, I came home covered in stinky sweat. I quickly took a shower and felt relaxed.
After drinking a bottle of beer and resting for a while, I felt a little bored.
Lin Xuan wanted to eat plum blossom cakes from Nanjing, so she took Zhu Yanni to go shopping together.
Shang Qianyi was also escorted to Chongqing.
It doesn't feel like a home without a woman.
What are you thinking about? We are about to go to war now. Why are you still thinking about women?
Zhao Changle's home was not far from where he lived, so Meng Shaoyuan simply went out, thinking about going to his place for dinner.
When I arrived, I saw that almost every household had set up a small table outside the house, and they were all having dinner here.
They are all fellow villagers, and they are very familiar with each other. You invite them to come here to eat a piece of meat, and he invites you to go there to get a piece of fish.
I don't know how lively the atmosphere is.
After a tiring day, men definitely need a drink of wine to relieve their fatigue.
It was a great pleasure to drink, smoke, chat, and talk about news that I didn’t know where I heard.
Meng Shaoyuan bought two large watermelons and saw at a glance that Zhao Changle was eating at the same table with his next door neighbor.
Also, his wife and children all went to Chongqing, and he was the only one left in Nanjing.
"Zhao Changle."
"Ouch, Section Chief Meng." When he saw it was Meng Shaoyuan, Zhao Changle stood up quickly: "You came just as soon as you saw it, and you are carrying something? You have just eaten, right?"
Meng Shaoyuan's nose was so angry that he said, "Zhao Changle, can you learn a little bit? At this time, why don't I make it clear that I'm just here to get some money?"
"Oh, you are the only one who can speak so confidently about cheating. Sit down, sit down." Zhao Changle asked him to sit down with a smile: "Let me introduce to you, this is my neighbor Fan Haichao, Brother Fan. This is his Wife-in-law, Sister-in-law Xiudi. These are his two children. Brother Fan, this is my leader, Section Chief Meng."
"Hey, hey." Fan Haichao was much more enthusiastic than Zhao Changle, and asked his wife to go home to get some bowls and chopsticks: "Drink something, eat something, there's just no food, don't mind."
Zhao Changle went home and took out the money: "Chief Meng, you and I, Brother Fan, will eat first while I go to the restaurant in Xiao Shandong to cook two more dishes."
"Sister-in-law Xiudi, you cut the watermelon for the children."
As soon as Meng Shaoyuan said this, Fan Haichao's two children suddenly beamed with joy.
"Chief Meng, you drink, you drink." Fan Haichao persuaded the drinker enthusiastically: "Thanks to your care of Chang Le in the unit, we are like a family. He is my brother, and he will be my brother in the future. I have to ask you to take more trouble.”
"Chief Meng, do you think it's strange?" Sister-in-law Xiudi put a plate of cut watermelon in front of Meng Shaoyuan: "Chanle's wife said she was going to Chongqing to visit relatives. Our family and the old Mu family have been neighbors for many years. , I haven’t heard that the old Mu family has relatives in Chongqing?”
This is also the rule set by Meng Shaoyuan.
In order to avoid causing panic, those who evacuated all found excuses to leave.
"Yes, yes." Meng Shaoyuan said perfunctorily: "Xu is a relative of Chang Le. Our unit is busy with work, and Chang Le definitely doesn't have time to go to a place as far away as Chongqing, so we let his wife go."
"That's right." Sister-in-law Xiudi nodded: "Chang Le is the son-in-law who came here. He may have relatives in Chongqing."
"Chief Meng, I know what you and Chang Le do." Fan Haichao took a sip of wine: "Let me ask you something. When I left work today, our foreman happened to accompany the manager back from Peking to discuss business. . The foreman said that the Japanese rogues in Peiping killed a Chinese, and now, the students in Peiping are marching in protest?"
Meng Shaoyuan nodded.
This actually happened last month, and Fan Haichao is old news.
A Japanese rogue had a dispute with a Chinese from Peiping, and the two got into a fight, and the Chinese was beaten to death.
As soon as he saw the appointment, the Japanese ronin hurried to the Tianjin Japanese Concession.
As a result, there was a wave of protests.
"You said, students, students, just go to school and go to school. Why are you going to march and protest when you have nothing to do?" Fan Haichao sighed: "What if something happens?"
Meng Shaoyuan seemed to hear something: "Do you have relatives in Peiping?"
Fan Haichao sighed.
"Their boss is in Peiping." Zhao Changle came back with two pots of vegetables: "Sister-in-law Xiudi, there is no room for it on the table. Go to my house and bring a small table."
When Sister-in-law Xiu Di entered the house, Zhao Changle said, "Brother Fan had a wife before who gave birth to a son for him, but she died in childbirth. Sister-in-law Xiu Di married her later."
As soon as he saw Xiudi's sister-in-law coming out, Zhao Changle quickly stopped talking.
Sister-in-law Xiudi put down the small table: "Chang Le, you are so sneaky, aren't you talking about Lao Fan's previous wife and children? I don't care, so what are you worried about? Chief Meng, I'm from northern Jiangsu. Later, someone used matchmaking to marry Lao Fan and gave birth to two more sons.
Lao Fan's sister was married to Peking, and the couple couldn't have children. That year I gave birth to my second child, and his sister and brother-in-law came to Nanjing to visit us, and by the way, they said they wanted to adopt the eldest son and adopt him to them. His brother-in-law worked in a government agency and the conditions were very good. As soon as we discussed it, we adopted the eldest son to them. "
Adoption happens quite frequently.
It would be too difficult for a family like Fan Haichao to raise three sons.
Letting your children follow you to Peking is a blessing even though you are reluctant to leave.
"My eldest son follows his sister and her husband. They treat him very well, just like his own son." Zhao Changle sighed: "Originally, I said that I would adopt the newly born child to them so that they could raise it with their own hands. Dear. But my sister and brother-in-law just don’t want it. I know that my eldest brother was fifteen years old that year, which is the age when I have to live in poverty. My sister and brother-in-law want to help me lighten my burden so that Xiudi and I can live more comfortably. ah."
The eldest brother also treated Fan Haichao's sister and brother-in-law as his biological parents, and he went to college smoothly.
It was a good thing.
But once you get to college, you no longer have to worry about it.
I participated in marches and protests all day long, and was arrested by the police twice.
There is another parade in Peiping this time. How can Fan Haichao not be worried?
"Lao Fan, as a student, he is full of passion." Meng Shaoyuan had nothing to do about such a thing: "Let alone Peking, Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, where are the students not demonstrating? The children are older and they are so far away from you. , I can’t control it anymore. Besides, don’t you still have your sister and brother-in-law?”
Fan Haichao could only nodded silently.
"Chief Meng." Sister-in-law Xiudi moved a small stool and sat down: "I am a woman, but I just don't understand. Our country is so big. I listen to others reading newspapers, military parades, and the formation of new troops. , but why do you always let the little Japanese bully you?"
Meng Shaoyuan felt like he had been slapped hard on the face.
"Sister-in-law Xiudi, I don't know how to tell you this." Meng Shaoyuan was a little helpless.
Sister-in-law Xiudi couldn't understand the comparison of various strengths in the country.
"Why are you panicking?" Fan Haichao said in a sullen voice: "That's because the government is giving up to little Japan. We, a big country in heaven, have nothing to worry about with little Japan. How many people do we have in China? Forty-five million , How many people are there in Little Japan? If we really want to fight, one person would drown Little Japan with just a spitting breath."
Meng Shaoyuan laughed bitterly.
If only it were that simple.
However, no matter how tense the Sino-Japanese relations are, most ordinary Chinese people believe that this country is too big to lose in a war.
How should I explain to them that war cannot be won by relying on large numbers of people?
It can't be explained, it doesn't make sense.
"Don't talk about state affairs, don't talk about state affairs." Zhao Changle said hurriedly: "Let's drink, drink."
"Hey, Chief Meng, do you have a wife?"
"Ah, no."
"What a coincidence. My cousin's second cousin has a daughter. She is 17 years old this year and she looks so pretty. Section Chief Meng, may I ask them to show you a photo?"
Otherwise, let's talk about some state affairs.
This is an ordinary family in Nanjing, and they live an ordinary life.
They occasionally talked about national affairs that they didn't understand well, and more of the parents were cunning. The boy from the Zhang family was still unmarried, and the daughter from the Li family was said to be a good match.
that is it.
But that's enough for them.
But they would not have thought that the pace of war was getting closer and closer.
They don't care about this.
They think the government can solve everything.
Meng Shaoyuan suddenly said: "Brother Fan, Sister-in-law Xiudi, I want to discuss something with you."
"You say it, you say it."
"What's your child's name? How old is he?"
"He is the second child, Fan Zhenbang, or the name Lao Mu helped pick. He is 14."
"Be my godson."
"What?" The Fan family couple were completely unprepared and were confused.
"Really." Meng Shaoyuan said very seriously: "I don't know if you are willing to be my godson. It's just that I am a bit young, so being a godfather seems a bit inappropriate."
"Yes, but why don't you want to?" Fan Haichao was so happy that he didn't know what he meant: "I was just thinking about letting him get a job. Zhenbang, please kowtow to your godfather quickly."
Meng Shaoyuan himself never imagined that just for a casual meal, he would actually adopt a godson who would never be born at his age.
