“That’s right, but there’s a market every few days, and you can buy things right by the dock.” Liu Lei thought for a moment and said.
At this time, ration coupons weren’t widely used yet, so in many places, you only needed money to buy things.
“I see, alright then. You don’t have to stay for dinner, but take this.”
As she spoke, Fang Yuan stuffed a jar of canned fruit into his hands.
“Sister-in-law, I can’t accept this…”
“If you call me sister-in-law, then you’re like my younger brother. Why can’t you take it? Keep it, keep it, or else when your battalion commander comes back, I’ll have to tell on you!”
Under Fang Yuan’s threat, Liu Lei sheepishly took the canned fruit and left.
Not long after Liu Lei left, there was a knock at the courtyard gate.
Fang Yuan went out to see who it was and found a short-haired woman in her thirties knocking.
She was holding a plate of plump, white dumplings, still steaming hot.
“Sister, you are…?”
Fang Yuan deliberately put on a puzzled expression as she looked at the woman and asked.
Of course, she knew this woman was the wife of Battalion Commander He next door, named Liu Lan.
This woman had given birth to three sons, was outgoing and eloquent, and was the type the original female protagonist befriended yet secretly envied.
“I’m your neighbor next door. My husband is He Jianshe, and I’m Liu Lan. You can call me Sister-in-law Liu or Sister Liu. Are you from the Third Battalion Commander’s family? I’ve been waiting for you to arrive!”
Seeing Fang Yuan, Liu Lan’s eyes immediately lit up, and she spoke with great enthusiasm.
She lived next door to the political commissar’s family. The political commissar’s wife was the women’s director, more than a decade older than her.
She spent her days dealing with trivial matters, and in the few years Liu Lan had been here, she rarely socialized with her.
Due to rank and housing arrangements, all the company commanders and deputy battalion commanders lived on the other side.
In the three or four years she had been here, Liu Lan hadn’t made many close friends.
“Hello, sister-in-law. I’m Fang Yuan, Zhao Qingzhuo’s wife. Look at me, I haven’t had the chance to visit you yet, and here you are, coming over first.” Fang Yuan replied with a generous smile.
“Fang Yuan? That’s an interesting name. I’ll just call you Little Yuan from now on.”
As she spoke, Liu Lan handed the plate of dumplings to Fang Yuan:
“Little Yuan, don’t be polite. Your Xiao Zhao and our Lao He are good friends. We should get close from now on. Oh, and these are dumplings my family made. Try them!”
“No, sister-in-law, you’re too kind. I should have visited you first. These days, having dumplings isn’t easy, let alone such a big plate. You should take them back for the children to eat!”
Fang Yuan declined, thinking this sister-in-law was a bit too enthusiastic.
“What’s the big deal? The children have theirs too. Your husband is away on a mission, so what’s wrong with a sister-in-law welcoming you with some dumplings? Take them!”
Without giving Fang Yuan a chance to refuse, Liu Lan directly placed the dumplings in her hands.
“Eat them quickly. I’ll come back later to get the plate!”
After saying this, she turned and went back to her house next door.
Looking at the energetic Liu Lan and then at the dumplings in her hands, Fang Yuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
People in this era could be truly troublesome when they wanted to be, but those who were warm-hearted were genuinely warm-hearted.
These two extremes required some time for her to adjust to.
Holding the plate of dumplings, Fang Yuan went back inside.
She’d just have dumplings for dinner tonight. Luckily, Xiao Liu had brought her some soy sauce.
Her Space had everything except seasonings, so for now, she’d have to make do with soy sauce.
After finishing the dumplings, Fang Yuan washed the plate clean.
She took a packet of Candy Twists from the cabinet and went next door.
“Sister-in-law, I’m here to return the plate!” Fang Yuan called out from the gate of the neighboring yard.
“Hey~ Didn’t I say I’d come over to get it later? Why so polite? Come on in! Are you full? If not, I still have some left at home!”
Liu Lan replied while stepping out of the kitchen.
“I’m full, sister-in-law. Your cooking is excellent—the dumplings were delicious, and I ate until I was stuffed.”
She carried the plate into the small yard, which was about the same size as her own.
However, this yard’s vegetable patch was filled with various greens. Each type wasn’t planted in large quantities, but there was quite a variety.
It was clear the lady of the house knew how to manage a household.
She could probably ask her for some vegetable seeds.
“What cooking skills? We’re from the Northeast back home—everyone makes dumplings the same way,” Liu Lan said modestly.
It was just that, with the planned economy now, everything was in short supply.
If Zhao Qingzhuo hadn’t asked her to look after the new bride, she wouldn’t have been willing to make such a meal of dumplings.
After all, it wasn’t a holiday or special occasion, and on this island, even a meal of mixed-grain dumplings was considered a rare treat!
“Sister-in-law, you’re too modest. Everyone knows that when it comes to flour-based dishes, you Northeasterners are the best. These dumplings are truly delicious!”
Fang Yuan linked arms with Liu Lan and entered the house, where three boys of varying heights looked at her curiously.
Fang Yuan handed over the plate and asked, “Are these three boys your children? Sister-in-law, you’re really capable.”
Having three sons certainly brought honor in the husband’s family, but they were also big eaters when it came to grain.
Liu Lan took the plate and placed it on the table, laughing:
“Don’t even mention it. These three little rascals are wearing me out. Weiguo, Wedang, Weimin—this is your Uncle Zhao’s wife from next door. Call her Aunt Fang.”
“Auntie, hello!”
“Auntie, hello!”
“Auntie is so pretty!”
The three boys greeted Fang Yuan and even threw in some flattery.
Fang Yuan was quite amused: “Hello, boys. Auntie will treat you to some Candy Twist. Keep those sweet words coming in the future!”
As she spoke, she handed the Candy Twist in her hand to the three of them.
“Xiao Yuan, don’t be so formal. Keep it for yourself. Once things are in their hands, they’ll be gone in less than a day.” Seeing this, Liu Lan quickly tried to dissuade her.
Snacks like Candy Twist were something she usually couldn’t bring herself to buy. This girl came and gave away a whole pack right away—she really had a big heart.
“Sister-in-law, I ate the dumplings you treated me to. Can’t I treat the kids to some Candy Twist?”
Fang Yuan pretended to look displeased.
Liu Lan smiled helplessly: “Alright, alright, you’re spoiling them. Hurry up and thank Auntie!”
If they accepted it, she could always give her something nice from home later.
“Thank you, Auntie! Auntie is beautiful and kind-hearted—so nice!”
“That’s right, Auntie is so nice!”
“Thank you, Auntie!”
With Liu Lan’s permission, the three boys quickly took the Candy Twist and started eating.
Looking at these three boys, she thought of the child in her own belly.
Only then did she truly feel like she was about to become a mother.
The two chatted for a few more moments before Fang Yuan prepared to leave:
“Well, sister-in-law, I’ll head back now. Once I’ve finished tidying up, I’ll invite you over to my place.”
“Sure. If you need anything or don’t know something, just ask me. I’ve lived here for several years—I know the place well!” Liu Lan said, escorting Fang Yuan to the gate.
Turning back, she looked at the three who couldn’t stop eating.
She scolded them with a smile: “Weren’t you full from the dumplings earlier? Don’t finish all that Candy Twist in one go.”
“Mom, this auntie is really pretty and nice. Can we go play at her house in the future?”
He Weiguo swallowed a bite of Candy Twist and asked Liu Lan.
This auntie looked quite nice, bringing them Candy Twist when she visited. She was kind, and he liked her.
“They don’t have any children at their house. Who are you going to play with? You’re not allowed to go, or I’ll teach you a lesson,” Liu Lan said irritably.
As the child’s mother, how could she not know what this little rascal was thinking?
Playing was just an excuse—what he really wanted was to freeload food and drinks!