Chapter 151: Homemade Firecrackers

When it came to the past, Zhang Lan could only describe it as a bitter memory. However, thinking about her current life, she calmed down. There’s no gain without loss. “Sigh, let’s consider it as the milk fee Wang Zhenhe paid for her. Even though we didn’t get anything, I’m willing to live on my own, even if it means being a little poor. At least the children can have a decent meal now. Otherwise, living with them, I was afraid the children wouldn’t grow up properly. I remember how thin they were back then. As a mother, it pained me to see them like that. But there was nothing we could do. We couldn’t make decisions under someone else’s roof.”

Talking about the children made Zhang Lan feel like crying. It was truly a difficult time, and they couldn’t even afford to give the children enough to eat.

“Sigh, sister-in-law, you’re doing well now. The children are sensible, and you and your husband are hardworking. How could you not have a good life? Even though the foundation is a bit weak, as long as we’re united, we can overcome anything. Just look at your children. They are so capable. Even little Qianqian knows how to manage the household. Your future is definitely bright. Let’s not hope for anything from the old lady. It would be good enough if she doesn’t take anything from us,” Wang Juan said.

The next day, Zhang Lan finished sewing the pockets and filled each one with items. She planned to send them out at the post office on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year.

Even though the siblings were on vacation, they didn’t slack off on their studies. Wang Zhenhe brought home junior high school textbooks and asked the elderly folks to teach them more. He believed that studying more was better than just playing around all day.

After finishing their studies, Mingcheng took the others to collect unused firecrackers from other households. They collected the ones with fuses and set them off outside. If they found any without fuses, they would have Wang Qian collect them. “Brother, let’s dismantle these and extract the gunpowder. We can make our own firecrackers.”

Although Wang Qian had never made such a thing before, she understood the principle. It involved wrapping paper around the outside, putting gunpowder inside, and attaching a fuse. It shouldn’t be a problem.

They broke all the firecrackers in half and extracted the gunpowder, spreading it on paper. Mingcheng brought back some yellow clay, mixed it with water, and rolled it into a cylindrical shape using wrapping paper. He sealed the bottom with the clay and applied some around the sides of the cylinder. Then, he used paste to stick the paper cylinder and placed it on the kang to dry, hoping it would dry quickly.

Wu Changyong watched from the side, his mouth slightly agape, but he remained silent.

After the paper cylinders had dried, Wang Qian instructed Mingcheng and the others to fill them with gunpowder. Once filled, they placed the fuses collected from the firecracker pile in the middle, sealed the surroundings with yellow clay, and continued to dry them on the kang.

“Sister, will this work? What if it explodes?” Mingcheng was concerned about their safety. To be honest, Wang Qian wasn’t entirely confident either, but she felt that making firecrackers is made like that. At most, she made the fuses a bit longer, assuming they might need time to run away.

“Brother, we’ll know if it works after we try it. Once you light the fuse, run away quickly and hide. Let’s see what happens. After all, these are homemade, and I can’t guarantee our safety,” Wang Qian said.

Zuo He, seeing Wu Changyong behind him, held his hand and asked, “Grandpa Wu, is what we’re doing okay?”

Wu Changyong stood there, suppressing a smile. “Zuo He, you’ve got me stumped with that question. I know how to make explosives, but I’ve never made firecrackers. However, the way you’re doing it should work. It’s basically the same process. But your homemade ones might be more powerful. Are they dry? Take them to the street and set them off.”

Mingcheng checked the firecrackers drying on the kang and found that they were dry. He picked up the homemade firecrackers and led the group out of the courtyard.

Zuo Zhanshan saw that Old Wu had followed them out of curiosity, so he also followed to see what was happening.

This time, they chose an open area to the east to set off the firecrackers. After Mingcheng lit the fuse with an incense stick, he ran back quickly. Before he reached Wang Qian and the others, the firecrackers had already gone off with a loud bang, much louder than regular firecrackers. Wang Qian saw that the snow and mud on the ground had been blown into the air, and she felt a bit scared. Fortunately, the fuses were made long, or her brother would have been injured.

“Wow, who made this? It’s almost like a small bomb. Old Wu, was it you?” Zuo Zhanshan immediately recognized that it wasn’t a regular firecracker, so he asked Old Wu. “Hehe, I wish I had thought of it, but it was the kids. Not bad, right? How could my apprentices be inferior? If this were before the Liberation, this group would definitely be an outstanding children’s group,” Old Wu replied.

Mingcheng ran over to take a look and saw that a small crater had been created on the ground. He couldn’t help but feel relieved that he had run fast.

“Grandpa, how was it? Our homemade bomb was pretty good, right?” Zuo He proudly reported their achievement to his grandfather.

“Not bad. It’s like the ones from our old Zuo family. Zuo He, remember that the bigger you make it, the more powerful it will be. So, you guys should only make smaller ones in the future to avoid getting hurt,” Zuo Zhanshan advised.

The three boys, Mingcheng and his friends, had found something fun to do. They went around collecting used firecrackers from other households and then made their own to play with.

On the evening of the third day of the Lunar New Year, the family had another meal of dumplings. The three-day New Year celebration had come to an end. In the evening, Wang Zhenhe set off a few small firecrackers, symbolizing the end of the celebration. However, Mingcheng and his friends felt that it wasn’t enough, so they brought out the homemade firecrackers they had made in the afternoon and set them off outside. Hearing the loud noises, Zhang Lan’s heart raced. “Auntie, these kids are really resourceful. They can make their own firecrackers. I’m really afraid they might hurt themselves.”

Hao Lianchun, smiling, reassured her, “It’s okay. Mischievous boys grow up to be heroes. It’s not a bad thing for boys to be a little mischievous, while girls should be more demure. You don’t know how mischievous our three boys were back then. Your Uncle used to discipline them with a whip. Can you believe they once took his gun outside? I was so scared at the time, but luckily those rascals didn’t cause any major trouble. They just took it to the woods to shoot birds. But look at them now. They’ve grown up to be responsible adults. Don’t worry. Your two boys, along with Zuo He, are mischievous, but they are also sensible. I think my grandsons are quite mature.”

The three-day New Year celebration passed in the blink of an eye. Zhang Lan went to the post office to mail the items, and Wang Zhenhe sent an extra package of sea cucumbers. Wu Changyong and Zuo Zhanshan also went to report for duty at the armed forces today. Life had returned to normal, but in the countryside, there was a saying that the year wasn’t over until the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year. Therefore, those who stayed at home were still maintaining the festive atmosphere.

In the afternoon, someone outside called out, “Is Wang Zhenhe at home?”

Wang Zhenhe, who was sitting with the other elderly men in the house, quickly went outside to see what the matter was. It turned out to be the head of the neighborhood committee.

“Is there something you need, sir?”

Li Detian said with a smile, “Zhenhe, quickly take Zuo He and His Grandmother to listen to the phone call. The other party said they will call in half an hour. It’s probably a call from you’re her son. Hurry up, I’ll go back and keep an eye on things for you.”

After seeing off the head of the neighborhood committee, Wang Zhenhe hurried back home. “Auntie, put on your coat quickly. It might be a call from Zuo He’s father. They said to wait half an hour before listening. I’ll go tell Zuo He.”

The elderly lady was excited and a bit flustered. Zhang Lan quickly helped, “Auntie, let’s not rush. Take it easy.”

It had been a long time since she had seen her son, and Zhang Lan could understand the old lady’s feelings. Zuo He, who had been studying next door, was also brought over by Wang Zhenhe.

“Grandma, let’s hurry. It’s a call from Dad. We mustn’t miss it,” Zuo He urged excitedly. Zhang Lan helped the elderly lady put on her coat and scarf before letting Wang Zhenhe lead them outside.

As the call from her son came through, Hao Lianchun walked with excitement, and Wang Zhenhe couldn’t help but admire her military background, noticing her brisk pace.

When they arrived at the brigade office, Li Detian was already waiting there. There weren’t many people in the office. Since the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year hadn’t arrived yet, the brigade only had two people on duty. If there was anything urgent, they could call for help, as everyone lived nearby, just a few minutes away.

“Auntie, come and sit down. The call hasn’t come yet. You’ll have to wait a little longer,” Li Detian said.

They didn’t have to wait long before the phone rang. Zuo He quickly picked up the receiver, and a clear voice came through. “Hello, is Zuo He there?”

Upon hearing the voice on the other end, Zuo He couldn’t hold back his tears. “Mom, it’s me, Zuo He. I miss you.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he burst into tears, and the voice on the other end continued urgently, “Don’t cry, my dear. Mom and Dad miss you too.”

Hao Lianchun quickly took the phone and exchanged a few words with her daughter-in-law and Son. Once Zuo He had calmed down, she let him continue the conversation.

“Mom, everything is good here. I just miss you. When you have time, please come and visit me,” Zuo He said.

Knowing that long-distance calls were expensive, Zuo He kept his message brief and clear. “Zuo He, listen to your uncle. Dad will come to see you soon. Be a good grandson to your grandparents.”

Zuo He was tearful as he spoke, and even the two men beside him felt a pang of sadness.

“Uncle, Dad wants to talk to you.” After finishing the conversation with his parents, Zuo He handed the phone to Wang Zhenhe.

It was the first time in his life that Wang Zhenhe had spoken on the phone. He felt a bit awkward at first, but when he heard the strong and resolute voice on the other end, he calmed down. Zuo Xiangcheng expressed his gratitude to Wang Zhenhe and asked him to take good care of the children.

“Third Brother, don’t worry. We already consider Zuo He as our child, and I will take good care of him. You are welcome to visit us in the future,” Wang Zhenhe assured.

After chatting with Zuo Xiangcheng on the phone, Wang Zhenhe hung up, feeling a layer of sweat on his back.