Chapter 164: The Living Must Go On

For three days in a row, everyone spontaneously went to pay their respects with flowers.

Back home, Li Xinyue told Chen Yiheng many stories about great people.

From the children’s initial fear on the first day to their self-awareness on the third day, Li Xinyue was very pleased.

Starting on the fourth day, the soldiers didn’t come anymore, replaced by even louder training sounds on the training ground.

Li Xinyue knew they were commemorating their great leader in another, more active way.

It wasn’t until September 18th that all walks of life officially resumed normal operations.

During those days, she and her son stayed home making clothes.

Qian Sanni had nothing to do either, so she spent all day with her child at Li Xinyue’s place.

The two children learned to read and count together.

Chen Mingchuan still hadn’t returned, and there was no news from him.

Liu Qiang still delivered meals every day, and Li Xinyue didn’t know how to pay for them.

One morning, Xiao Liu came with the food again.

Li Xinyue stopped him, “Xiao Liu, with you delivering food every day, are the ration tickets and money your company commander gave you enough?”

Liu Qiang immediately replied, “Sister-in-law, the company commander’s rations are in the camp, and he pays for meals every month.”

“This is the company commander’s meal portion, don’t worry about overeating or taking too much.”

This much?

Li Xinyue blinked, “Are you sure you’re not taking advantage of the soldiers?”

Liu Qiang immediately shook his head, “No, the company commander’s monthly ration is 52 kilograms of grain, and he often goes out on temporary missions.”

“Last month, the company commander went home to visit his family, only taking thirty kilograms of ration tickets with him, leaving quite a bit in the camp.”

Okay, good to know they weren’t taking advantage.

Otherwise, she would have been embarrassed!

She heard it was chaotic in the city, so going there was out of the question.

But this mountain area was a military management zone, so Li Xinyue made a decision, “Xiao Liu, bring less for lunch, I’ll eat alone.”

“Okay, Sister-in-law.”

After eating and sending her son off, Li Xinyue went to the division commander’s house again.

Ma Suying was off today, and she was as warm and welcoming as ever.

“Xiao Li, I’ve been so comfortable these days, and I’ve been sleeping soundly at night.”

Li Xinyue smiled softly, “Aunt Ma, you don’t need to press it anymore after today.”

“But continue using the ointment.”

“I’ll go to the mountains again later to find some herbs and prepare the second batch of medicine.”

“I can’t guarantee that your problem will be completely cured, but I can guarantee it will be much better than before.”

That’s good!

Thinking about the sleepless nights she used to have, Ma Suying was much happier, “Xiao Li, thank you so much.”

“You’re going to the mountains alone, it’s not safe. I’ll have Little Niu go with you.”

“It’s so chaotic outside now, what if some bad guy sneaks in, something could happen.”

Xaio Niu was the division commander’s clerk.

He was just a seventeen-year-old recruit, and he wouldn’t be of much help.

Li Xinyue immediately refused, “No, no, I’ll just look for herbs by the river and in the ravines, I won’t go deep into the mountains.”

“Xaio Niu doesn’t recognize any herbs, taking him wouldn’t be helpful, forget it.”

Hearing that she wouldn’t go deep into the mountains, Ma Suying didn’t insist.

“These days, Xiao Chen is not home, if you need anything, just tell me.”

“It’s not that I want to thank you, it’s just that I see you running around all the time, it’s really inconvenient.”

“I have two industrial coupons here, one for a bicycle and one for a TV.”

“Don’t be polite, I have both of these at home, I can’t use them.”

In this era, there were still unused coupons?

Li Xinyue knew she didn’t want to owe her a favor.

That’s best.

“Then thank you, Aunt Ma! I really want to buy a bicycle, this is great.”

Just then, Ma Zhen returned.

“Sister Xinyue, don’t think my aunt is just returning a favor, she genuinely has plenty.”

“Take it, this ticket was given to me by my uncle.”

Li Xinyue blushed slightly.

“I was narrow-minded. Aunt Ma, I really like this.”

Ma Suying laughed, “You Xiao Li, Xiao Chen and Xiao Nan are like brothers, and Lao Xiao loves talent, don’t be so polite.”

“Yes!”

Leaving Master Xiao’s house, Ma Zhen came out with her.

“Sister Xinyue, did you make this dress yourself?”

Li Xinyue nodded, “Yes, how does it look?”

Ma Zhen chuckled, “More than just good! It’s simply amazing!”

“I wonder when Brother Xiao Nan will come back, once he does, I’ll have my fabric!”

“You were so polite just now, it made my aunt hesitate to ask.”

“She said, your clothes are really beautiful.”

Li Xinyue understood, “Then ask Aunt Ma to prepare the cloth, I’ll come over in a few days to take her measurements.”

“That’s great! Will you make me two sets too?”

“Do you really want them? You’re in the army all the time, you won’t have many chances to wear them, right?”

Ma Zhen blushed, “Of course I want them! I’m not just saying it!”

“When I’m on leave, I wear civilian clothes. My home is in the city, how about you come with me to play sometime?”

Li Xinyue was also straightforward, “Okay, bring the fabric over to me when the time comes.”

“Deal!”

The weather was excellent today, no sun, no rain.

Perfect for going out.

Back home, Li Xinyue changed into an old set of clothes and told Qian Sanni she was going out.

Leaving the house, she headed towards the mountains.

The day she chopped firewood with Chen Mingchuan, she noticed that several small mountains by the road seemed to have been burned.

Not this year, though.

Mountains that have been burned are where certain medicinal herbs grow.

After crossing the river and a small bridge, she turned onto the mountain path.

This was the front mountain, quite low, and Li Xinyue reached the foot of the mountain quickly.

Standing at a certain spot, she looked around and was instantly stunned.

The pieces of Apricot Leaf Adenophora on the side of the mountain seemed to be planted, growing neatly on the hillside.

Apricot Leaf Adenophora has the effect of clearing heat and promoting fluid production.

It has a certain therapeutic effect on symptoms such as five heart palpitations, dry mouth and throat, constipation, yellow and red urine, red tongue with little fluid, caused by yin deficiency.

It also has a certain regulating effect on symptoms such as lung heat dry cough, dry cough, little tongue coating, dry throat, and yin deficiency cough, hoarse voice, or hemoptysis.

It can be used as medicine or food.

Stewing it with old duck soup is very beneficial for people with lung heat and yin deficiency.

Especially in this northern region, where people often roast fire in winter, it’s easy to get a dry cough.

Drinking this Apricot Leaf Adenophora ‘soup is nourishing for the throat.

The soil was loose where the fire had burned before.

In less than two hours, Li Xinyue had dug a full basket of Apricot Leaf Adenophora.

She couldn’t possibly dig it all back at once, there was just too much.

She went looking for a few other herbs, to make ointment for Ma Suying.

Unintentionally, she saw something else good.

A large patch of ‘Polygonatum sibiricum’, it was truly delightful.

Was it that herbs were everywhere in this era, or was she just lucky?

Li Xinyue was in a great mood…

Just then, suddenly, a big fat rabbit “bang” hit the big tree next to her…

“Hahaha!”

Li Xinyue was overjoyed: Was this the modern version of “waiting for a rabbit by the tree stump”?