The waiter took the dumplings off the plate and placed a plate in front of each person, followed by a bowl of soup. He said: "The dumplings are here, and the dishes will be here soon. What kind of wine do you want to drink? The shop has both Jinshaquan from Yicheng and liquor brewed in this county."
"White wine! I want white wine!" Zhang Yan shouted hurriedly. This shop is much bigger than the noodle shop during the day, and it's much cleaner. Zhang Chi not only ordered dumplings, but also ordered several dishes. Zhang Yan was really heartbroken about the money spent.
The boy agreed and hurried away.
Chen Qing swallowed. He said: "That's fine. We've been tired from walking these past two days. Let's drink two glasses of white wine and sleep well at night."
Not long after, the boy brought another plate of chicken feet, a plate of pig ears, a plate of lotus root slices, and a plate of mixed preserved eggs. He said: "The cold dishes are here, please take your time. The hot dishes will be here soon."
Zhang Yan said repeatedly: "I heard people say that these dumplings have fillings and are equivalent to vegetables. Why do you need to order so many more vegetables?"
Zhang Chi said: "You have come a long way and have worked hard on the road, so you should naturally eat better. There are garrisons around Xinye, soldiers? They don't pay attention to food, so the food here is not exquisite. When the wine is served, we will drink two glasses. Come early Rest."
Chen Qing nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, very good! I am not afraid of my nephew's jokes. This is the first time in my decades of life that I have eaten so richly!"
As he spoke, he looked at the dumplings on the plate and the dishes on the table.
The waiter brought the wine. He said: "This is last year's old wine. It is not as strong as this year's wine. Please use it with caution."
After the boy retreated, Zhang Chi poured wine for his father and Chen Qing. Said: "The liquor is too strong, Mrs. Chen, I'd better not drink it."
Ding Niang hurriedly whispered: "I don't drink."
Zhang Chi nodded and smiled at Ding Niang. He raised his glass and said, "You have come from afar to drink a glass of wine to relieve your fatigue."
After saying that, he raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.
Chen Qing drank the wine, smacked his lips, and then said: "This wine is a bit strong. We also have liquor sellers in the countryside, but it's not like this."
Zhang Yan said: "Everyone who sells wine in the countryside has to add water! Of course they can sell it in this kind of shop!"
Zhang Chi smiled. Said: "The dumplings don't taste good even if they are cold. Let's chat while eating. There are also two hot dishes, which will be served soon."
Chen Qing has long wanted to taste dumplings. After hearing this, I picked up the chopsticks and put one in my mouth. He took a sharp bite and grinned. After swallowing it in a few mouthfuls, he said, "Oh, this dumpling looks cold, but I didn't expect it to be so hot inside!"
Zhang Chi said: "There is stuffing inside, so it won't be very cold for a while. When you eat it, you can bite it open first, so it won't be so hot."
After taking a few bites, Chen Qing said: "These dumplings are delicious! Compared with wontons, the fillings are larger and the taste is better! In my opinion, such a large plate is enough to fill you up. My dear nephew, I don't know how much the dumplings are worth compared to their face value. ?”
Zhang Chi said: "Dumplings contain meat, so they are more expensive than noodles."
Chen Qing nodded repeatedly: "That's what I think. I'm eating this dumpling, it's full of meat, how can it not be expensive?"
In rural areas, there are no meat sellers except when going to market. If you want to eat meat, you often have to wait until the New Year and other major festivals, when several families join together to kill pigs. Most of their tastes find pork to be extremely fragrant. This kind of dumplings filled with pure meat is naturally the most delicious thing in the world.
Ding Niang ate the dumplings and took a peek at Zhang Chi from time to time. She felt a sweet feeling in her heart, but she couldn't explain it clearly. Seeing that he was satisfied with himself, maybe this was the man he wanted to live with for the rest of his life.
Chicken feet and pig ears are not expensive. In this era, it is considered as leftover food and not many people eat it. It’s different here in Xinye. The main customers are military personnel who like to drink. Naturally, they also like these snacks.
After eating for a while, the hot food was served. One is a big bowl of braised pork with pickled vegetables, and the other is braised chicken with chestnuts. The taste is delicious and the portion is abundant.
Looking at the dishes on the table, Zhang Yan felt his heart tremble. Even if Erlang falls in love with his bride, he doesn't have to spend such a huge sum of money. This is a dumpling seller, and one plate of dumplings per person is enough to make you feel full. How much does it cost for so many dishes?
After eating two pieces of meat, Chen Qing felt satisfied. I have never eaten so richly in my life.
After drinking a glass of wine, Chen Qing asked: "Xianzhi, looking at the officials in the government office today, are you an official in the army?"
Zhang Chi said: "Recently there has been a rectification in the army, and I have been promoted. Now I am the cavalry commander, but I am still a junior officer."
Chen Qing couldn't help but feel a little frustrated when he heard that he was a junior officer. Looking at Zhang Chi's appearance, I thought he would be a high-ranking official, but he didn't expect that he would still be a subordinate.
Officers at the battalion level are called commanders for infantry and military envoys for cavalry. However, there are no divisions in Wang Xiao's hunting army, and they are all called commanders.
In Wang Xiao's hunting army, the generals below are junior officers, the generals above are senior officers, and the generals in the middle are called mid-level officers. Whenever we talk about middle and lower-level officers, we mean officers below general and below. When talking about mid-level and senior officers, they mean generals and above. As a commander, Zhang Chi is only one step away from being promoted to a mid-level officer, with a bright future. It's just a country person, how do you know these rules?
Chen Qing asked again: "I wonder how much a month for a commander like you? Can your salary be enough to support your family?"
Zhang Chi said: "Recently, a new huizi was issued. Now I am only given a stipend. I have room and board in the army. I am paid thirty-five guanzhi a month. Although I am not rich, it should be enough to support my family."
"Thirty-five punches?" Chen Qing's eyes widened and he couldn't believe it. He turned to look at Zhang Yan, full of suspicion.
Zhang Chi said with a smile: "I just got promoted and was paid two months' salary. In the past, there was no money in the army, and the salary was often insufficient, and everyone owed something. This time, I will pay enough at once, and I will pay what I owed before." I have some spare money in my hand. I also thought that when I get the opportunity, I can give my family dozens of dollars to buy cattle and repair the house. Dad just happened to come."
Chen Qing nodded, still looking a little unconvinced. How much money does a country person make in a year? Zhang Chi does thirty-five exercises a month, which is simply an astronomical number. Don't talk about supporting your family, this is just an official. I just wanted to find a husband for my daughter, but I didn't expect to bump into such a family. It was like a dream.
Ding Niang was shocked by this number. She didn't chew the dumpling in her mouth, so she choked and her face turned red.
Zhang Yan didn't believe it either. He knew that his son was doing well in the army, but how could he reach such a high position in less than two years?
Wang Xiaolie's army was newly formed. Some of the officers came from the defeated generals of the old army, and most of them were selected from the soldiers. Nowadays, most junior officers are promoted quickly. It is common for people to be promoted from soldiers to commanders in one year. Zhang Chi is not unusual.
After swallowing hard, Zhang Yan said: "I received a letter from you at home earlier, saying that you were recently promoted. Does that mean you were promoted to commander?"
Zhang Chi nodded: "Yes. Many people in our army are like this now, and there is nothing strange about it. At the beginning of the year, I aided Shaanxi Province and made some contributions. I saved Jingmen a few days ago and had military merit, so I was promoted Be quick.”
Zhang Yan nodded: "Erlang, you are now thirty-five dollars a month. With so much money, how can your mother and I dare to think about it? Oh, with so much money, I wonder if we should buy some land. One day you will not join the army. Now, I will become a member of the Communist Party of China when I return to my hometown."
Zhang Chi smiled and said: "Dad, I have been in the army for less than two years, and my promotion happened recently. Although my monthly salary is quite large, I have not saved any money, so there is no need to think about this. Besides, officers in the army all take their wives. Who will go back to his hometown when he is in Xinye City? We have to fight Jinlu, and we don’t know how many years it will take! Even if we win Jinlu, there are other things to do."
"Aren't you going home?" Zhang Yan was a little disappointed. In his heart, he really didn't know what his son would do if he didn't come home.
Zhang Chi said: "The military is busy with affairs and the treatment is good, so of course I won't go home. If it were in the past, I should have taken my parents out to support them. But it's different now. Wang Zhuan said that the parents of soldiers have their own place. You don’t have to follow yourself around to take care of them. Nowadays, military officers take care of their own small families. They give them some money, and the government takes care of their daily affairs. "
Zhang Yan said: "Since you joined the army, the yamen has indeed taken your name. But it has been more than a year, and I don't know what the use is."
Zhang Chi said: "Everything is new now, and many things have not been done by the Yamen. In the future, when the officials are all there, it will naturally be useful."
Zhang Yan sighed: "There is no official in our family within dozens of miles. Suddenly you become an official, and I don't know what to do. As long as you live a good life outside, you don't have to worry about your family too much." .”
Zhang Chi said: "Dad, today is different from the past. The world is different. Haven't you noticed? Since the king observed Xiangyang, there have been many changes here. Farmers' taxes are not so heavy, and the market has become prosperous. Suddenly In this time, everyone’s life will become easier.”
Zhang Yan nodded: "That's right. Now we collect three bushels per acre of land, and the tax is not much. Almost every family can have enough food and clothing. Although fifty labors a year is a lot, they are not arranged during busy farming periods. . By the way, now that the government has called for it, many cooperatives have been opened in the countryside. I and a few neighbors have been raising ducks, but for a short time, we haven’t seen any money yet. On the other hand, Wu Lang can get two guan of money every month from the willow weaving company in the village. "
Chen Qingdao: "That's what you are talking about. What kind of life did we live in Shaanxi before? Before the Jin came, we were barely living. When the Jin came, people were killed everywhere, and only two or three households out of ten were left. When we arrived in Xiangyang, I know there is such a wonderful place in the world!"
Zhang Chi said: "You see very few things at home, and you don't think it's a big deal. I'm a soldier, I travel a lot, and I see a lot of things. What was the army like in the past? If you can please the officers, maybe your life will be better. You can get by. If you are not liked by the officers, you don't know when you will die. Recently, our army has been reorganized, and officers who are not good to the soldiers have been expelled from the army. Our army is very different from before. How can the place where the king observes and governs be the same as before? As long as we live with peace of mind, it will definitely get better and better in the future."
