Fortunately, he arrived early and borrowed the kitchen knife in advance. Others in Camp No. 5 could only wait eagerly for them to use it before they could use it themselves. But Enhai is destined to eat dumplings without vinegar and garlic this year.
Starting from noon on the 30th of the Lunar New Year, the radio station begins to broadcast the drama continuously, and it will be broadcast from 9 am to 9 pm on the first day of the first lunar month. In addition to "Silang Visits His Mother" and "Farewell My Concubine", the plays played also include "Dragon and Phoenix Presenting Prosperity" (the story of Liu Bei's marriage to Sun Shangxiang) which is a must-have for future generations during the Chinese New Year.
Zhang Bo has gone home, and the affairs of the radio station have been left to the people in the guard room. Under the "saturation bombing" of successive famous Peking opera plays and storytelling, coupled with two days of good food during the New Year, the prisoners of the Qing army gradually began to think of "making their home in a foreign land." Even those low-level officers and soldiers in Beijing or other garrisoned cities would never hear so many dramas in a year, and many people couldn't help but enjoy it.
Wu Kambei's injury has basically improved. At the strong request of him and several border residents, Liu Sheng agreed to let them join the army in Beihai Town after the year, and everything would have to start from scratch. However, when Zhao Xin heard that Wu Kanbei's home was near the estuary of Heilongjiang River, he decided to let him take a boat with him to the north after spring.
His eyes returned to Beihai Town. Early in the morning on the second day of the Lunar New Year, Wan Zao's wife took her son with her and took a list given to her by Chen Qingsong and searched for the people on the list one by one. She followed Zhao Xin's order to find a nanny for Fang Hua.
Wang Li and Hu Liu were sitting in the tent talking about the commendation meeting last year. Seven-year-old Wang Conger and Hu Liu's daughter Niuniu were building a snowman outside the tent.
Mrs. Wang Li did not dare to go to the commendation meeting a few days ago. In these days, a widow running around with a child was already criticized by others. Why bother to show up and be looked down upon? Besides, she was a Shuyuan Cultist before. Now that I have left my hometown, I have to keep my tail between my legs to be a talented person.
"Sister, I heard that spring has started, and all of us are going north?"
"Yes, that's what I said. I heard those officials mention it twice a year ago."
"Sister, what's it like in the north?"
Mrs. Hu Liu stopped her sewing, thought for a moment and said, "The land is fertile! Each family is given at least fifty acres, but I heard it's colder than here."
Wang Li showed a trace of embarrassment on her face and said: "It would be nice to have more land. But with Cong Niang and me, I can't even manage fifty acres of land! If I miss the harvest of the masters, it would be a greater sin." .”
Hu Liu said: "Sister, what are you talking about? The official said, what is used for farming here? Oh, it's called a chicken! I don't understand, this chicken can also help people farm?"
The two were talking when they heard a woman's voice coming from outside the door. Mrs. Wang Li was worried about her daughter and quickly got up and left the tent. I saw a boy of seven or eight years old standing next to a chubby woman, who was chatting with Wang Conger with a smile.
The person who came was none other than Wan Zao's wife.
Although seven-year-old Wang Conger's skin is a little rough, her facial features are exquisite, and she is a beauty at first glance. Wan Zao's wife only felt fond of it and couldn't help but stop to tease her.
"This girl is pretty. How old are you?"
Wang Conger couldn't help but become nervous when she looked at the woman in front of her and the boy beside her. The other party was wearing a Beihai Town-style labor protection cotton coat, with a shiny brand pinned to his chest and a red hoop on his arm. Wang Cong'er heard Mrs. Hu Liu mention it when chatting with her mother. In Beihai Town, those who wear red hoops on their arms are those who work for the government.
"Seven years old."
"You haven't gone to school yet? Do you know how to read?"
Wang Conger shook her head nervously when she heard this, and then nodded again. Mrs. Wang Li happened to come out at this time. When she saw the man wearing a red hoop on his arm, she suddenly became extremely nervous.
"This, this" Mrs. Wang Li wanted to call her "Guan Ye" out of habit, but the other person was a woman and she didn't know what to say.
Wan Haiyang, who was as big as a kid, glanced at the wooden number hanging on the tent behind Wang Li, then looked at the piece of paper in his hand, and then whispered something into Wan Zao's wife's ear.
After listening to her son's report, Wan Zao's wife said to Mrs. Wang Li with a smile, "Your name is Mrs. Wang Li?"
"Yes." Mrs. Wang Li responded and made a blessing ceremony.
"Do you have a Hu Liu family here?"
Mrs. Hu Liu in the tent had been paying attention to the movements outside. When she heard someone mentioning herself, she quickly lifted the curtain and came out, saying: "It's me."
When Wan Zao's wife saw that Mrs. Hu Liu was dark and lavish, she immediately rejected this person in her heart. She then said to Mrs. Wang Li: "I will look for you."
A day later, the two miserable women said goodbye in tears. Mrs. Wang Li took her daughter and a bag containing clothes and toiletries, and followed Wan Zao's wife to the edge of the Xila River.
The three of them got on an ice sledge, and a migrant worker responsible for transporting them across the river took them across the river on a horse. After walking for about two miles, we finally arrived outside the workshop.
Along the way, Wan Zao's wife kept repeating the precautions mentioned yesterday to Wang and Li's mother and son.
"The west coast is different from the east coast. You can't go to many places. If you run around, you will be caught by the guards. We don't come here normally."
"Mr. Fang is a very nice person. His wife died of illness a few years ago, and the child was heard to be gone a long time ago. Don't say this nonsense everywhere."
"Your Cong Niang is so well-behaved, Teacher Fang won't care. He is usually busy in the workshop and rarely goes to the town. Even Mr. Zhao respects Teacher Fang."
Mrs. Wang Li lowered her head, listening to Wan Zao's wife's chatter, and responded with "hmm". At this time, in her mind, the image of a scholar in his forties, Dong Hengbu, emerged.
When they arrived at the gate of the workshop, Wan Zao's wife first handed over a letter of certification to the guard on guard. The guard looked at the three of them carefully for a long time, then entered the guard box and called the workshop, and then waved his hand to let them in.
Fang Hua was making ammonium nitrate explosives at this time. The power of the last one he made was reduced due to moisture, so he decided to make another batch during the Chinese New Year.
In the closed laboratory, several exhaust fans were whirring on. Fang Hua and Zhang Fang wore self-priming filter dust masks and safety goggles on their faces, as well as polyethylene anti-virus suits and rubber gloves. Two bottles of dry powder fire extinguishers are placed on one side of the test bench. The thermometer hanging on the wall inside the house shows that the current indoor temperature is 25 degrees.
Beihai Town has a very large demand for ammonium nitrate explosives this year, which will be used in iron ore, road construction, river widening, and even coal mining in Ezo.
There are no telephones in the laboratory. Generally, people who come to see Fang Hua can only wait outside if they see the red light outside the door. An indescribable strange and unpleasant smell was wafting in the air, making the three women extremely uncomfortable.
Wan Zao's wife took Wang Li into the workshop. The guard in charge of guarding the laboratory stopped the three of them and said that Teacher Fang was busy, so the three of them had to wait in the guard room. Mrs. Wang Li sat in the room uneasily and looked out the window. She could see the red light bulb at the entrance of the laboratory in the distance.
The guard brought hot water to the three of them and sat at the door without saying a word.
The three of them had been in such a dull atmosphere for an unknown amount of time. Wang Conger had fallen asleep in Mrs. Wang Li's arms, and Mrs. Wang Li and Wan Zao's wife had also dozed off.
At this time, the door of the guard room made a soft sound, and Fang Hua, who had changed into a white coat, walked in. The guard on duty was no longer in the room at this time. Fang Hua sat on a chair and stared blankly at the three women in the room.
In her sleep, Wang Li's heart tightened, and she suddenly woke up. When she looked up, she saw Fang Hua's eyes looking at her. She was stunned for a moment, and suddenly understood, she quickly lowered her head and touched Wan Zao's wife with her hand.
"Oops! Why did I fall asleep!" Wan Zao's wife rubbed her eyes and saw Fang Hua sitting at the door. She quickly stood up and walked to the middle of the room, and said to the other party with a smile: "Teacher Fang, I have brought you the person. If you have any questions, please tell me quickly, so I can go back and deal with Mr. Chen."
Fang Hua heard Chen Qingsong say at a dinner party a few days ago that he wanted to find a nanny for himself; he refused without thinking at the time. In his heart, his wife who died of illness is irreplaceable.
But Chen Qingsong persuaded him at the time: "Old Fang, you are thinking too much. This is either to find you a wife, or to find someone to take care of your life. Look at you now, you are either in the laboratory or the dormitory all day long, and there are very few of you in the town. Come and take a look.”
Fang Hua said: "I'm busy with experiments. Zhao Xin always arranges tasks for me."
"Then you have to go home and have a hot meal, right? That Zhang Fang is the one who prepares your meals every day. He is such an idiot, how can his cooking be delicious?"
Fang Hua thought about it. Zhang Fang knew how to cook miscellaneous vegetables, and once he cooked, he would cook a big pot and eat one meal and the next. Fang Hua's own apartment is also in a mess. His clothes are torn and make do, and he even washes his clothes only once every two weeks.
"This won't work. We are not making scientific breakthroughs. No matter how bad things are, we have to live comfortably. Mr. Zhao told me before he left that I must do it well."
"Only cooking and washing clothes?"
"How new! We won't play the trick of sleeping with you. I will arrange accommodation for you nearby."
"That's good." Fang Hua replied calmly.
At this moment, Fang Hua looked at Wang Conger sitting up from Wang Li's arms, and couldn't help but think of his lost daughter, and felt sour in his heart.
"How old is this kid?"
"Teacher Fang asked, Xiao Congniang, how old are you?" Wan Zao's wife quickly turned around and said. Mrs. Wang Li also stood up at this moment, pulling her daughter to stand behind Wan Zao's wife.
Wang Conner tilted her head and looked at the skinny middle-aged man in front of her. Seeing that his eyes were full of kindness, she whispered: "Seven years old."
"It's time to go to school at the age of seven. Have you read?"
Mrs. Wang Li quickly made a Wanfu gift, lowered her head and said, "Master, we just arrived here by boat last month."
Fang Hua shook his head and said: "I'm not a master, you can just call me Teacher Fang. I heard all about your affairs yesterday. I don't have much to do here. You don't have to worry about breakfast. You can bring it to me when lunch is ready. This guard room is fine. After dinner, you can go back to the house and don't worry about me. As for the clothes, I will leave them at the door. You can just put them away for me after you wash them. In fact, I usually wash the clothes myself, just when I get busy. I can’t care anymore.”
When Mrs. Wang Li saw that the other party spoke kindly, she relaxed a little, lowered her head and said, "I'm used to doing these tasks in the past, sir. Don't worry, Teacher Fang. Cong Niang is usually very well-behaved and won't cause any trouble to you." .”
Fang Hua raised the corners of his mouth slightly and said to Wang Li, "Has this child read?"
"Before coming here, I couldn't even eat. With her wandering around performing arts, there was no chance of studying."
"When school starts in a few days, let's send her to study."
Mrs. Wang Li was surprised and happy after hearing this, and quickly pulled her daughter to kneel on the ground and kowtow to Fang Hua. "Cong Niang, please thank Teacher Fang quickly!"
"Thank you, teacher!" Wang Conger said parroting, leaning down and kowtowing twice. Just as he was about to kowtow the third time, Fang Hua helped him up. Fang Hua turned around and took the guard's towel, dipped it in some water, and wiped off the dust on Wang Conger's forehead.
"Thank me for what I did. It doesn't cost anything to study here in Beihai Town. It's the same for every family."
Wan Zao's wife on the side said: "Yes, if it weren't for Mr. Zhao, my silly son would probably still be teasing cats and dogs all day long."
Fang Hua said to Wan Zao's wife, "That's it. I have something else to do. Please help arrange their accommodation. Oh, by the way, this is the key to my house. Remember not to touch anything on the table!"
"Yes Yes."
After the two adults and one child walked out of the workshop, Mrs. Wang Li hesitated and said: "This teacher Fang never forgets his deceased wife, which shows that he is a person who attaches great importance to friendship."
Wan Zao's wife asked in surprise: "Why do you say that?"
"He is still wearing white clothes. Isn't that in memory of his wife?"
"Ah? Hahahaha~~" Wan Zao's wife was stunned for a moment, then covered her mouth and started laughing.
Wang Li, who had made a big joke, didn't know what she said wrong, so she hurriedly said: "Did I say something wrong?"
Wan Zao's wife gradually stopped laughing, and then she explained what the white coat was for. Wang Li made a joke and couldn't help but feel very embarrassed.
Fang Hua's dormitory is just over a mile north of the workshop. This is the family area of the entire workshop. The dormitory of Wang Li and his wife is not far to the east of Fang Hua's house.
The planned area of this dormitory area is very large, but only a few hundred households currently live there. A few silly roe deer stood at the edge of the woods, looking curiously at the three new unfamiliar faces.
"Mom, look." Wang Conger pointed at the roe deer, raised her head and said to Mrs. Wang Li.
Wan Zao's wife explained: "These are roe deer, and there are a lot of them in this area. But don't worry, these guys don't bite and are not afraid of people. But if you get too close, they will still run away."
Wang Conger bit her index finger and asked curiously: "Auntie, can it be eaten?"
"Of course you can. But don't worry, we often organize hunting here, and every family will get a share."
At this time, Wan Zao's wife said to Mrs. Wang Li: "Not long after you arrived, it's for your own good that the adults don't let you eat meat. When we first followed the adults the year before last, we hadn't smelled the smell of meat for a long time. As a result, we ate too much at once. I've had stomach upset for several days. The adults later said that this is called spleen and stomach weakness, which cannot be replenished. It needs to be gradually restored."
Mrs. Wang Li said: "Don't listen to the nonsense of a child. Since I came here, I have been fed with corn buns every day. I couldn't even imagine such a day before."
At this time, people living around heard the talking outside and came out to see. Wan Zao's wife then said hello and introduced Wang and Li's mother and daughter to them. Everyone heard that this mother and daughter were new nannies for Fang Hua, and they all smiled and said hello.
When the three of them arrived at a new house, Wan Zao's wife pointed to the small courtyard in front of her and said, "You mother and daughter will live here."
Mrs. Wang Li looked at the newly built wooden house and the front yard in surprise, and said to Wang Conger with surprise and joy: "Mother Cong, this is our new home."
Wang Conger looked at the wooden house and felt that there was nothing new. He turned his face and looked at a few silly roe deer not far away.
(End of chapter)
