Chapter 81: A Phone Call from the Army

The next morning, when they went to their uncle’s house for breakfast, they brought a bucket of honey with them.

Seeing this large bucket of honey, the uncle and his wife were shocked, their eyes almost popping out.

“Goodness, Chuan, did you go out to collect honey yesterday afternoon?”

“Yes.”

Wang Cuimiao looked at his face, seeing only a few marks, she immediately looked envious. “You’re not afraid of bee stings? You’re amazing!”

“Last year, your uncle also brought back a nest of honey, he got stung, his whole face was swollen for ten days!”

“You must have been stung a lot too? But you’re not swollen at all, amazing!”

Chen Mingchuan: “…”

He wasn’t swollen, but this woman had picked out needles, washed the poison, and applied medicine last night, how could he be swollen?

At this time, Li Xinyue spoke up: “Auntie, bee stings are actually very simple.”

“First, pick out the stinger, then wash it with soapy water.”

“Then dig up some purple flower groundsel, half-sided lotus, seven-leaf one-flower, dandelion, etc., and squeeze out the juice and apply it.”

Huh?

Wang Cuimiao was even more surprised: “Xinyue, is it that simple?”

Li Xinyue nodded: “Yes, it’s that simple, the main thing is to pick out the stinger and wash out the poison, then there’s no problem.”

“If you can’t find medicine immediately, vinegar will also work, but it’s less effective.”

Goodness, she learned something new today.

Wang Cuimiao looked at Li Xinyue with even more admiration.

Chen Mingchuan had taken down the entire honeycomb, after they finished eating, everyone was busy extracting the honey.

“Wow, this nest of honey is really a lot, at least sixteen or seventeen pounds!”

After filtering, they each poured themselves a bowl of honey water.

Wang Cuimiao’s eyes were bright and her heart was sweet.

Chen Mingchuan found a few glass bottles and filled five of them: “Auntie, you can keep the rest.”

Seeing that he had left so much for her, Wang Cuimiao immediately shook her head in refusal.

“No, no, there’s still at least seven or eight pounds here, we don’t need so much.”

Those five bottles, at least seven or eight pounds, Li Xinyue said: “Auntie, just keep it, we have enough here.”

“Xiulian is about to give birth, there are many places where she needs sugar.”

“Besides, we’re leaving soon, we can’t eat so much at once, just keep it.”

“Alright.”

Wang Cuimiao didn’t refuse anymore.

She knew that the things this couple gave her were not just these few pounds of honey.

“The other day, Erhu and Sanhu went to sell spicy fish, they exchanged a lot of cloth coupons and food coupons, and he’s going again tomorrow.”

“When they’re done, I’ll give them to you.”

“Someone is exchanging?”

Li Xinyue was delighted.

Wang Cuimiao nodded: “Someone is exchanging, especially the old masters, they all wear work clothes, they said they have a lot at home.”

“Sanhu agreed with them, he’ll go again tomorrow.”

This was good news.

Li Xinyue now didn’t even have two sets of clothes to change, not only her, but also the children.

Summer was about to pass, those autumn and winter clothes couldn’t be worn outside.

“Sanhu, you try your best to exchange, today we’ll go with you to catch fish, and we can exchange in the future.”

Sanhu’s mood was very good these days.

Not only did he have a bicycle, but after his third brother repaired it, it rode better than a new one.

Sun Da Ge, from the town’s agricultural machinery station, said that he would be delivering bricks to the city for two months, and told him to go whenever he had fish.

“Sister-in-law, don’t worry, I’ll try my best to exchange.”

The water from the herbs had dried up, Wang Cuimiao and her daughter-in-law were at home helping Li Xinyue extract the juice from the herbs.

She and Chen Mingchuan took the three children and Sanhu to the river.

She didn’t dare to use her mind power too much, she only used it a little, but this already caught many more fish than usual.

“Sister-in-law, you really are a lucky star.”

“I’ve caught a lot of fish before, but never this many.”

Li Xinyue chuckled, “Looks like I’m a lucky star, huh?”

“Yep, definitely!”

Making shampoo, herbal face masks, and spicy fish blocks kept them busy for two days.

That afternoon, Chen Mingchuan received a call and left.

He returned in the evening, saying, “My household registration has been transferred, and the army called. They want me to go back quickly.”

Li Xinyue blinked, “Is there a mission?”

Chen Mingchuan shook his head, “They didn’t say. I called Xiao Nan, and he said there might be something big happening in the capital.”

Big things?

In August 1976, what big things could there be?

Suddenly, Li Xinyue remembered: Today is August 28th, September 9th… October 8th…

“When are you leaving?”

“I have to leave the day after tomorrow. Do you want to take the train or the bus?”

Qu County is over 250 kilometers from G City. There are both trains and buses to get there.

The train is faster, taking about three hours, but the seats are hard and it’s very crowded.

The bus is more convenient, but the road is bad, and it takes almost six hours.

Li Xinyue didn’t want to take the bus. It’s cramped, crowded, and stuffy, making it easy to get motion sickness.

Although the train isn’t comfortable either, it’s better than the bus.

“Okay, let’s go to the county tomorrow.”

“I called my comrade and asked him to book a sleeper berth, but it’s not guaranteed.”

The train is a passing train, but it only takes three hours.

“It’s fine, as long as we can get a seat.”

“Okay!”

Chen Mingchuan left again.

Wang Cuimiao, hearing that they were leaving the day after tomorrow, immediately got busy.

“Xinyue, I’ll make some chopped peppers and chili flakes for you.”

“You both love spicy food, and they might not have it there.”

Her aunt was genuinely kind to her, and Li Xinyue didn’t hesitate. “Okay, I’ll take whatever you give me.”

The next day, they left early and took the first bus to the county town.

After buying two steamed buns at the bridge, Chen Mingchuan sent Li Xinyue to the pharmacy factory dormitory and went to find his comrade to buy train tickets.

Zhang Li was shocked to see her.

“Xinyue, why are you here so early?”

Li Xinyue smiled, “I’m going to the army tomorrow. Even though it’s not far, it won’t be easy to come back.”

“I made a lot this time, so it should last for a while.”

“And people who bought the shampoo won’t have to worry, I’ll send it back from the post office when I’m settled.”

“You’re leaving?”

Li Xinyue nodded, “Yeah, he has an urgent mission in his unit, and they want him to go back.”

Zhang Li nodded, “That’s right, soldiers aren’t as free as us civilians. If there’s a mission, they can’t delay.”

“Leave this with me, I’ll take it for my mom.”

“Come in first, have some breakfast.”

“I already ate, no need to be polite.”

“Sister Zhang Li, I’ll call you when I’m settled there.”

“If you go to the provincial capital, be sure to come visit me.”

Zhang Li was happy, “Of course, it’s not easy for me to go there, but your brother-in-law goes there twice a month.”

“In that case, when the shampoo and stuff run out, I’ll call you.”

“When your brother-in-law goes to the provincial pharmaceutical company, I’ll ask him to pick it up.”

That’s great, it saves on postage.

“Okay.”

Zhang Li took the goods and gave her two meat coupons and two oil coupons.

“Take these, it’s not the same as being at home when you’re out.”

“I’m more convenient than you.”