Uncle De warmly welcomed the two of them, then said, "Mingxuan is right, this valley belongs to all of us, the valley is our home. We value equality here. We share the work in the valley and share the meat when there is plenty. Come, Commander Zheng, Comrade Xiao Li, let's eat and chat.
Come, Commander Zheng, Comrade Xiao Li, let's have a drink first. You've traveled so far into the mountains, a drink will help you relax."
Listening to the thoughtful words, seeing the sincere smiles on every face, eating the fragrant garlic-dipped meat, drinking the fragrant sorghum wine, and looking at the steaming table full of meat dishes, Commander Zheng felt the warmth of home.
Commander Zheng looked at the kind and simple smiles on every face and listened to the plain and thoughtful words, feeling a deep sense of closeness and warmth in his heart.
Before coming to the valley, he had worried about his wife and children adapting to this unfamiliar place. He feared they wouldn't get used to it or wouldn't be welcomed. Now, he realized those worries were clearly unnecessary.
For a moment, all his previous concerns vanished. Instead, he felt a yearning and anticipation for his family's future life in the valley.
He secretly congratulated himself on his decision back then, realizing how correct it had been.
A heavy stone had finally lifted from his heart.
At this time, Chen Lan, carrying the hedgehog she had just caught in the mountains, took the opportunity to slip out. She went to the courtyard gate of the second house where her mother-in-law lived. From her system inventory, she took out the dry branches she had sawed from the mountain earlier. Without a doubt, they were piled up on the ground. Chen Lan spread the branches out to dry in the drying area outside the courtyard.
Carrying the small hedgehog, she walked towards home. As she entered the courtyard, it was quiet. From inside the house came the laughter of children and the hearty laughter of her mother-in-law and Xiao Shan's mother.
Among them, Ming, her younger brother-in-law Zhe, had the loudest voice. He could be heard exclaiming, "My dear mother-in-law, look! Jiahui is gnawing on a bone. Oh! Jiayao is snatching the bone from her."
Chen Lan pushed open the door and saw this scene. Jiahui and Jiayao were both sitting on the sofa next to the dining table. Jiahui held a bone with little meat on it in her two chubby hands, gnawing on it with her four newly grown tiny teeth.
Jiayao reached out to snatch it from her side, but Jiahui held on tightly. Jiahui's chubby little face was smeared with oil and meat scraps.
Wenkai, Wenqi, Mingzhe, Hutou, and Xiao Shitou watched the twin siblings and burst into laughter. Their mother-in-law, Xiao Shan's mother, and Mama Liu also laughed until tears streamed down their faces.
Chen Lan looked at the scene, a mix of amusement and exasperation on her face. She put down the hedgehog and went to the kitchen to wash her hands. She quickly took another bone from the large bowl on the dining table, picked off the meat with chopsticks, and handed it to Jiayao.
Jiayao, holding the bone with both hands, also happily gnawed on it with his four tiny front teeth. Chen Lan worried that they might accidentally chip their teeth.
The dining table was also laid out with pork stew and several stir-fried dishes. Their mother-in-law, Xiao Shan's mother, and Mama Liu were drinking the grape wine Chen Lan and the others had made last time.
Wenkai and Wenqi, Mingzhe were drinking orange juice, while Hutou and Xiao Shitou were drinking yogurt.
Seeing Chen Lan return, her mother-in-law said, "Lan'er, haven't you eaten yet? Wenkai, quickly go to the kitchen and get a bowl and chopsticks for your elder sister. Lan'er, stay home and eat with us!
We have plenty of dishes. Your mother-in-law sent over a lot of good food through Hu Yuzhen. Come, this grape wine is well-made. Not only is the color beautiful, but the taste is also good. Come, have a drink with me, your aunt, and your Mama Liu." Saying this, she was about to pour wine for Chen Lan.
Chen Lan saw that there were indeed quite a few dishes and estimated that her mother and the others wouldn't be able to finish them. She took the wine pot from her mother's hand, poured herself a small half cup, and brought it to her nose to smell. It had a faint, ethereal grape aroma. She took a small sip, which had a light sweetness and no burning alcohol taste, only a subtle sourness. The gem-red color of the wine was noble and elegant, with a hint of cold allure.
After drinking, her lips and teeth were fragrant, and the aftertaste was long and infinitely memorable.
Mother and daughter, along with Xiao Shan's mother and Mama Liu, were in this room, savoring the red wine and chatting about life. Life was truly like wine, sometimes bland and tasteless, sometimes rich and mellow, requiring each person to savor it for themselves.
On the other side, at the dining table in the large kitchen, everyone was exchanging pleasantries, talking about everything under the sun, from geography to the valley's harvest, to the customs of Changbai Mountain. Everyone was very relaxed.
The cordial conversations between friends made them temporarily forget all the troubles of the mundane world and immerse themselves wholeheartedly in the joyful exchange.
The pork stew was eaten until nightfall. Everyone invited Commander Zheng and Li Dayong to rest in the valley for the night. Commander Zheng insisted on leaving, saying he had matters to attend to in the camp.
Reluctantly, everyone prepared two large back baskets full of wild boar meat for Commander Zheng and Li Dayong and escorted them out of the valley.
Commander Zheng and Li Dayong, with lingering reluctance and carrying beautiful, joyful memories in their hearts, shouldered their baskets and embarked on the mountain path back to the barracks.
After seeing off Commander Zheng and Comrade Xiao Li, the large kitchen began to tidy up. The leftover cooked meat was packed to be eaten the next day. The raw wild boar meat remaining after giving some to Commander Zheng was quickly marinated with seasonings. The villagers were already very skilled at these tasks.
The mother-in-law handed the kitchen over to Lin Mai, Cui Qiao, and the others, and then took Xu Mingxuan's hand to walk home.
As mother and son walked, the mother-in-law asked, "Mingxuan, you were injured and returned this time. Are you like Erhu and Xiangdong, no longer required to serve in the military?"
Looking at his mother's hopeful eyes, Xu Mingxuan put an arm around her shoulder and said, "Mom, I was injured during a mission and returned. My superiors took care of me and transferred me to a civilian position. I'm not going anywhere else. I'll be the political commissar at our local border defense camp, working alongside Commander Zheng. I'll be home frequently when I have leave."
The mother-in-law sighed, "Alright, alright! I can't force you. Just remember what you told me, you must come home when you have leave. When you're doing things, remember you have a wife, children, an old mother, a younger brother, and a sister who hasn't married yet."
The mother-in-law then asked, "How many days of leave do you have this time, and how long do you plan to stay home?"
Xu Mingxuan replied, "Originally, I was given half a year's leave because of my injury. I spent over four months recovering in the military hospital, then another seven or eight days handing over duties at the military. It took about a month to get back from the military, and then another three days to hand over duties at the border defense camp here. I still have seven or eight days left at home."
The mother-in-law patted Xu Mingxuan's arm and said, "You rascal, you're playing mind games with me again. Just say you don't have many days of leave! You went around in circles, almost dizzying me."