Winter is a good season to stay in bed late, and Tian Mi has become accustomed to staying in bed until it’s time to go to work.
After getting up, she washed and ate the warm breakfast in the pot as usual, tidied the house, and then went to her eldest sister's house with the milk her husband brought back from the kitchen in the morning.
"Why is it snowing again?" After entering the house, Tian Mi stood at the door and shook off the snowflakes on her body, complaining.
Tian Yu also came over with a feather duster to help her sweep the snow off her body. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "You'll get used to it after two years. Have you had breakfast?"
Tian Mi opened her hands to make it easier for her elder sister to sweep the snow: "I've eaten it. We have milk today. I came to ask you to make some milk buns. Make more. Let my third sister bring some to share with her colleagues tomorrow."
Thinking of the first time she ate steamed buns mixed with milk a few days ago, Tian Yu smiled and sighed: "You are still a good girl."
"My cooking skills are still a little bit inferior to that of Old Han in the cafeteria." After cleaning the snowflakes off his body, Tian Mi took off his heavy coat and responded with a smile.
Tian Yu put the feather duster on the table and rolled his eyes at her: "That's a craft passed down from their ancestors. How can we surpass it by just tinkering with it?"
Although scolded by her elder sister, Tian Mi didn't get angry. She just smiled and went to the kitchen with the cold milk.
As soon as she entered the kitchen, she wrinkled her nose at the unpleasant smell. She looked around subconsciously: "Sister, what is this? Ah! Is it duck feathers?"
"Oh, if you hadn't told me, I would have almost forgotten. Don't you want duck feathers? This thing is not easy to get. I asked everyone in the family quarters, and all I got was this little. We didn't even have time to throw it away. There are feathers from two ducks. What do you want these things for?" My sister is good in every way. She is usually lively, but she doesn't like to visit other people's homes. Apart from her own home, she goes to Aunt Mei's house at most, and that's to discuss promotional materials. Now, she has to go out of her way to get duck feathers.
Knowing that it was duck feathers, Tian Mi no longer mind the bad smell. If she could really make down jackets, what would this smell mean? At most, she could wash and boil them a few more times.
It was just a little short, and it looked like it wasn’t even enough to make a vest: “Sister, can you get more? Actually, I want goose feathers more.”
"Who would keep this stuff? They're thrown away after they're killed, and the smell is choking when they're roasted. But I ordered a few big geese from the quartermaster, and they should arrive the day after tomorrow. I'll leave all the goose feathers for you then. By the way, do you want a big goose? If you do, order it now, as the Chinese New Year is only a few days away."
Tian Mi took a small bag of duck feathers to the ground, dragged a small stool over to sit on, and then stretched out her hand to the eldest sister: "Buy it, I want two too, but the feathers from these geese are not enough, sister, give me the scissors."
"Why is it not enough? How much do you want?" Tian Yu pulled out a pair of scissors from the innermost of the drawer and handed them to her sister. There was a little fat girl at home, and she hid all the sharp objects that could hurt people.
"Are two geese not enough? We have to invite bachelors like Zhou Jianshe to our house for dinner during the Chinese New Year. I ordered six geese. You have to buy a few more. So, what do you want this stuffed animal for?"
"Making clothes." Tian Mi took the scissors and answered casually, then asked in confusion: "Do you still have to treat your comrades to a meal?"
Tian Yu didn't rush to answer his sister's question. Instead, he moved a small stool and sat next to his sister. He picked up one of the feathers and looked at it. He asked in confusion, "Can this be used to make clothes? It smells. Besides, can such a small thing keep you warm?"
Tian Mi had never made a down jacket, but she could roughly guess how it was made.
Of course, even if there are errors, it doesn't matter. After all, she will wear it herself and she doesn't plan to sell it. It doesn't matter if it's ugly. "I heard from others that duck down or goose down is warmer, so I thought of making a vest for Lao Lou first. You know, sister, sometimes when they are doing things, they think the coat is in the way, so they just wear autumn military uniforms. Their bodies will definitely not be able to bear it for a long time. Isn't down light? I thought I would give it a try. If it works, at least it can keep me warm. Even if it doesn't, it doesn't matter. It won't waste two feet of cloth."
One should feel sorry for one's own man. After listening to his sister's explanation, Tian Yu's originally nonchalant expression became a little more serious: "Is there such a saying? Wait a minute, I'll go to the next door to borrow a pair of scissors, and we can do it together."
As soon as he finished speaking, the man hurried out.
Seeing her in such a hurry, Tian Mi worriedly shouted, "It's snowing outside, walk slower."
"knew."
After the elder sister came back with the scissors, Tian Mi continued her previous question: "Sister, do the troops always invite their comrades to their homes for dinner during the New Year and other festivals?"
"I guess so. It's not a written rule. It's just that the ones who are close to each other, like in previous years, my brother-in-law and Zhou Jianshe would come to our house for a gathering. Anyway, that's the idea. Everyone wants to have fun. But you are newlyweds, so no one will say anything if you don't invite them."
"Old Lou didn't tell me about this. I'll ask him when he comes back this afternoon to pick me up for winter swimming." Tian Mi didn't mind treating people to a meal, and it wouldn't be nice if everyone was treated but her family wasn't.
Besides, Huihui’s good comrades are all good people. Whenever he finds something good, he always brings a portion to them.
"We should discuss it. However, whether you're inviting guests or not, it's always a good idea to prepare the ingredients first." Don't let yourself borrow ingredients from everywhere when you really want to invite guests.
Tian Mi said proudly: "Don't worry, by the end of the winter swimming, Lao Lou and I will be able to get 50 kilograms of pork, which will definitely be enough for us to eat."
Hearing this, Tian Yu laughed and scolded: "You, just show off in front of me."
"That is required."
Just as the two sisters were chatting and competing with Duck Feather, there was a noise at the door.
"Is my sister-in-law home?"
"Who could it be at this time?" Tian Yu muttered, then put down the scissors in his hand and walked out, and replied loudly: "Here I am, here I am, at home!"
Seeing this, Tian Mi also put down the scissors and followed him out.
The young soldier outside the door was Lou Luhui's orderly. Tian Mi was already familiar with him. Seeing him, she asked in surprise: "Xiao Fang? Are you here to see me?"
Xiao Fang has a baby face. When he saw his sister-in-law, he smiled with a pair of dimples: "Well, the regiment commander said that my sister-in-law is mostly at Political Commissar Chen's house, so I came over."
"What's the matter?" Tian Mi also smiled. It was not surprising that her husband guessed that she was here. After all, she didn't like to visit anyone except her eldest sister's house.
Xiao Fang suppressed his smile and said, "The team leader asked me to come and tell my sister-in-law that he had received a temporary mission and might not be able to come back to accompany you for winter swimming this afternoon. He told you not to wait for him and to go first."
"Temporary mission? Can you tell me what mission it is?" Tian Mi looked at the sky outside, not sure if it was an illusion, but the snowflakes seemed to be bigger.
Xiao Fang scratched his head: "I can't really say for sure. How about waiting for the leader to come back and then asking him?"
Hearing this, Tian Mi did not embarrass him and chatted with him briefly. Knowing that they were going to the village, she did not ask any more questions. She just added: "If you are not busy and it is convenient, please help my sister-in-law see if the villagers have duck feathers or goose feathers. If they do, ask your group leader to help buy more. If you are busy, forget it."
Although he didn't know what his sister-in-law wanted the duck feathers for, Xiao Fang agreed seriously.
After everyone left, Tian Mi looked at Xiao Fang's back as he ran away, and then she started to worry: "Why do we suddenly have a mission? I don't know if it's dangerous."
Tian Yu had been here for many years and was very experienced. She closed the door and sighed, "I guess something happened in the village."
Hearing this, Tian Mi thought of what her elder sister had told her before, about the dangers that the nearby villagers had encountered over the years, and she felt sad.
"I'll go winter swimming with you this afternoon."
The two returned to the kitchen, Tian Mi picked up the scissors and continued with the previous work: "No, you are pregnant and it is not convenient to bring the child with you. Sister Qin and I can go together."
Tian Yu thought about it and decided not to force it. The roads were indeed slippery on snowy days. "That's fine. You two can keep each other company."
"Well, don't worry. Maybe my old Lou will be back this afternoon."
"I think it's difficult. Every trip to the village takes a whole day."
“.”
Facts have proved that the elder sister's experience is still very accurate.
Until two o'clock in the afternoon, when Sister Qin came to call her, she still hadn't come back.
When Tian Mi carried his equipment and followed Mrs. Qin to the winter swimming venue for the second time.
Everyone is very welcoming.
When Tian Mi was diving, he also liked to compete with like-minded friends from time to time, so he never refused any challenges from everyone.
Of course, in order not to appear too abrupt, she only handled three games in two hours today.
Later, she went alone to the sea area where her husband had taken her yesterday, and caught two large lobsters and several octopuses of different sizes with ease.
After she dumped the two large lobsters tied with seaweed from the snakeskin bag onto the ground, Tian Yu was shocked when he saw the true appearance of the lobsters: "How come there are such large lobsters
Tian Mi threw the lobster into the kitchen, and pushed the little fat girl who was trying to look out of the kitchen out, and then said, "Let's talk about the lobster later. Sister, I'm going to go back and take a shower first."
"Oh, yeah, it's cold, right? I've boiled some hot water for you, just go back and take a shower. Oh, and I've also made some ginger soup for you to get rid of the cold. I just don't understand you guys, why do you have to go swimming in winter? It's so cold."
Seeing that her elder sister started to chatter again, Tian Mi hurriedly asked, "Sister, where is the ginger soup? Is it in the pot?"
“.”
When Lou Lu came back, it was already past nine o'clock in the evening.
Tian Mi hadn't slept yet. She felt relieved only when she saw the people returning safely.
She didn't rush to ask him how the mission went, but instead pulled him up and looked him up and down: "Why are your hands so cold? Are you very cold? Are you injured? Have you eaten?"
Lou Luhui had been running around outside and suffering from the cold all day. As soon as he entered the house, he felt his heart warmed by the warmth in the room and the care of his wife.
He hung up his coat, took off his hat and gloves, then bent down slightly, as if he had no bones, and hugged the person lazily without wanting to talk.
After a moment, as if he had absorbed new energy, Lou Lu stood up, took the man in his arms and went to the kitchen: "I'm not cold, and I'm not injured. I'm just hungry. I only had a steamed bun for lunch. Is there anything to eat?"
"Yes, I saved it especially for you. Go wash your hands first and I'll go serve the food." Seeing the obvious fatigue on her husband's face, Tian Mi knew that he must have worked hard today. She felt distressed and her pace quickened.
"You went into the sea alone?" After washing his hands, Lou Luhui came to the dining table and saw that there were shrimps and octopus meat in the bowl. He looked at his wife with some disapproval.
But he knew that his wife's magical ability would disappear as soon as they left the sea.
With her personality, she must have come back wearing wet clothes and wrapped in a coat. How cold would that be
Thinking of this, the man's expression became even worse. He frowned, put the dishes on the table, and then raised his hand to touch her forehead.
After staying for a while and not noticing anything unusual, he pulled her closer out of concern and used his forehead to feel her temperature.
Tian Mi quickly explained: "I don't have a cold. My elder sister prepared ginger tea and bath water for me in advance."
Hearing this, Lou Luhui stepped back a little, but his face remained serious: "Next time, wait for me to go together, don't go to the sea alone. I won't stop you in the summer, but not in the winter."
Knowing that her husband was doing this for her own good, Tian Mi did not intentionally lose her temper. She pushed the seafood soup that she had reserved for him towards him, motioning him to drink it, and then said, "Don't worry, it's what I promised little Chen Zhao yesterday. You've been hungry for a long time, don't rush to eat, drink some soup first. There are a lot of lobsters and octopuses today, so I used one-third to make soup. Try it and see if you like it."
After hearing his wife's agreement, Lou Luhui stopped pestering her. He was indeed very hungry.
He thought it was troublesome to drink with a spoon, so he just picked up the bowl and drank. He was amazed by the mellow and refreshing taste in his mouth. He didn't even bother to talk. He drank several mouthfuls in a row. After satisfying his appetite, he sighed, "This is too delicious."
Tian Mi was delighted to see her carefully prepared food being praised. "If you like it, drink more. There are not enough varieties of seafood. Otherwise, it would taste better."
"It's already delicious. It's so delicious that I have mixed feelings."
"Ah? Why?"
Lou Luhui ate a few more pieces of shrimp meat before saying, "I don't know how to use the treasure mountain. In previous years, I only knew how to catch fish and shrimps. Oh, and those crabs you mentioned. No one ate them before, and they were thrown back into the sea after being caught."
Tian Mi didn't know how to respond to this. She was silent for a few seconds before saying, "It's good that you know now. Don't worry, things will get better and better."
"Well, I believe that." As a soldier, confidence and loyalty to the country are equally high.
Tian Mi held her chin in her hand, watching the man eat heartily with a satisfied look on his face, and a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth unconsciously: "Are you free these two days? I want to catch more seafood."
"Why are you scooping up so much? Freezing it?"
"No, I want to take care of it and send it to your parents and my dad. I won't be able to make it to my dad's place before the New Year, but Beijing is half the distance from here, so it should be able to be sent before the New Year. The New Year is coming, and we, the younger generation, have to send some New Year gifts. I think seafood is good. Shrimp, abalone, octopus and sea fish are all good things. They are our little token of our love." Although this is her first time as a daughter-in-law, she has to work hard to maintain interpersonal relationships, no matter what her identity is.
Her parents-in-law treat her very well. Even her elder sister-in-law, whom she has never met, called her a few days ago to chat with her. She also said that she had sent her a gift. Although the gift is still on the way, it does not prevent her from feeling warm inside.
Since the other party took the initiative to show goodwill, it was impossible for Tian Mi to not respond. However, apart from seafood and other food, she really didn't know what to give as a gift.
After listening to his wife's explanation, Lou Luhui felt soft and sweet in his heart. He was a little moved and said, "I sent them something last month."
Although the environment here is cold, there are a lot of good things, especially the herbal supplies in the mountains and forests, which are incomparable to other places.
Having served as a soldier here for several years, he not only collected a lot of good medicinal herbs from his fellow villagers, but he also dug up ginseng several times himself.
He sent most of these good medicinal herbs back home to his parents, who kept them. Of course, he never considered festivals when sending things; he would just send them when he thought of them.
Tian Mi rolled her eyes at the man and said, "You are you, and I am me. No matter what, this is my intention. Just tell me if you can accompany me to the beach in the next two days."
In some aspects, the husband is still very straight, such as the magical aesthetics, and the current Spring Festival gifts. He can save money on these things, but can she, as a daughter-in-law, save money? Especially after the elders took the initiative to show goodwill.
Although he didn't understand why his wife suddenly got angry, Lou Lu instinctively felt that it would be safer not to ask the reason, so he agreed immediately and came up with a perfect follow-up plan: "Okay, of course, I'll go with you tomorrow. You don't have to send it back, it's too slow. There are many comrades going home for the New Year these days. I'll ask my comrades in Beijing to help bring it back. When the time comes, I can ask my dad to send someone to pick it up. It will arrive in three days."
Tian Mi was pleasantly surprised: "This is the best way, it saves a lot of trouble. I'm planning to roast the seafood and send it back, so you can go and ask tomorrow morning."
"OK!"
"By the way, what did you do in the village today? Can you tell me?"
Lou Luhui stood up and added another bowl of rice. "It can be said that the villagers in the village found the footprints of a blind bear at the foot of the mountain, so we went into the mountain to check."
"Bear? Did you find it?" Tian Mi frowned and asked again: "Are you really not injured? Don't lie to me."
"I really wasn't hurt. I wandered around the mountains for a day and didn't see any bears, but I did hunt a few roe deer."
"Are we going to continue tomorrow?" Although her husband and his friends had gone hunting before, bears were different after all. They were such ferocious creatures.
Lou Luhui swallowed the food in his mouth before replying, "Of course I will go, but I don't need to go tomorrow. Several teams will take turns, and Zhou Jianshe will lead the team tomorrow."
"Until we find the black bear?"
"We'll try our best, but if we expand the search to a week and still can't find any trace of the blind bear, we won't look for it anymore."
Tian Mi uttered "Hmm!" and said nothing more. She just quietly accompanied her husband to eat.
After he devoured all the food left for him in no time, Lou Luhui felt like he was alive again.
"Are you full? Not full? Do you want to take a walk for a while?"
"Yes, I am a little full. I was very hungry before. I will sit down and rest for a while before getting up and walking around."
Seeing how pitiful he sounded, Tian Mi felt distressed, but she also jokingly reached her hand under the hem of his clothes and touched his abdomen through his shirt, saying with approval, "Indeed, he is full. Look, our Hui Hui's abdominal muscles are all stretched out."
As soon as she finished her teasing words, she felt the muscles under her palms tense up instantly.
Tian Mi
So, this is a secret effort
Oh my god! Tian Mi was trying not to laugh. How come her Hui Hui was so cute
"What are you laughing at?" Lou Luhui raised his hand and put it on his wife's shoulder, looking innocent, as if the man who was secretly trying to tense his muscles was not him.
Tian Mi immediately cooperated and straightened her expression, took her hand away from his abdomen, and changed the subject by pointing at the two smelly snakeskin bags he had thrown on the ground at the door: "No, I'm just happy to see what you brought back. Are they all duck feathers?"
Lou Luhui snorted lightly, not caring about her saying that her abdominal muscles disappeared: "Well, the missing bag is duck feathers, and the extra bag is goose feathers. What do you want this for?"
"Well, I won't tell you yet. I don't know if I can make it."
".So mysterious? Aren't you just bored and want to play shuttlecock?"
Hearing this, Tian Mi was speechless and said, "Do you need so many duck and goose feathers to make a shuttlecock? If you don't know, you would think I want to open a shuttlecock factory."
"." Lou Luhui touched his nose after being scolded.
(End of this chapter)