Chapter 56
Mrs Li patted the bench beside her and gestured for Xu Man to sit down and chat, “It’s a long story”
Xu Man sat next to Mrs Li and peeled a lychee to eat while listening to the story
The sweet lychee, once peeled off the skin, was overflowing with juice
Bite into the sweet flesh, full of sweetness
It is really enjoyable
If there is ice water to soak it will be more delicious
It was the story told by Mrs Li that made it less pleasant to listen to
Wang Ying was a youth assigned to a farm in the countryside of Haicheng
She used to be a kind of delicate young lady, so how could she bear to suffer so much?
When she couldn’t take it anymore, she tried to plan her escape secretly
A youth who escapes is also a “deserter”, not only do people say it’s unpleasant, but once it’s reported to the organization, the consequences will be very serious
When Wang Ying was about to be caught, he panicked and stopped a passing car
Who knew that it was a military vehicle?
The driver was Zhao Gang, who had just returned from a mission
Wang Ying said that the people chasing her were human traffickers and wanted Zhao Gang to take him away
Zhao Gang’s temper could not tolerate the traffickers He rolled up his sleeves and was about to get out of the car to fight
When Wang Ying saw this, she changed her story, saying that they were from her village and that her parents had forced her to marry a bad old man for a high bride price
She would not let Zhao Gang hurt them, and only begged Zhao Gang to take her away
Zhao Gang’s face says he’s simple-minded and well-developed, so he’s no match for Wang Ying He was convinced by Wang Ying and took her back to the compound, where she was temporarily housed in the guest house
But the compound is tightly controlled, not everyone can enter The only outsiders who can enter the compound are the family members of the office workers
Zhao Gang said that Wang Ying is his own just got married, and that’s why he arranged the person to the guest house
“Wang Ying stayed in the compound for a few days and saw that we military wives did not have to work, stayed in the family building all day cooking and bringing children, and thought that this was a good life
So moved a crooked mind, coaxed Zhao Gang hit the marriage report to marry her In fact, it is in order to follow the army do not have to go to the farm to work” Sister-in-law Li shook her head and sighed, “But this girl is really too refined to treat others as fools”
Zhao Gang was a member of the first company, and his marriage report had to go through Lu Yuanzheng and the instructor first
Wang Ying’s little mind which can fool Lu Yuanzheng and instructor, but they can not directly say Wang Ying what can only persuade Zhao Gang
However, Zhao Gang is really a kid who is obsessed with Wang Ying
Wang Ying is so pretty and good at coaxing people that Zhao Gang is not fooled by her
Lu Yuanzheng and the instructor, as leaders, couldn’t disapprove Zhao Gang’s marriage report without a valid reason After all, Wang Ying had no problem with the political examination, and was just an ordinary young man who graduated from junior high school and was assigned to the countryside
I heard that Wang Ying to be a military wife, the farm side did not make things difficult for Wang Ying, thought Wang Ying is to see the mission back to the object, the escape was not pursued
So Wang Ying married Zhao Gang
At first, Wang Ying was fine, she cooked and washed for Zhao Gang and coaxed him into a daze, not letting him touch Zhao Gang, not touching him
Until one time, a sister-in-law brought some rice wine back from her hometown and shared it with everyone
Wang Ying didn’t know that rice wine is powerful and drank too much
The two people don’t know how to finally have a husband and wife
Usually, Zhao Gang treated Wang Ying very well, although they had a fight, but the days were okay
And then Wang Ying is pregnant, pregnant, began to cry and wipe the ground, from time to time with Zhao Gang fight
Zhao Gang read Wang Ying is a pregnant woman has been letting her
A few months ago, she gave birth to a son
At this time, the state announced the resumption of the college entrance examination, plus the policy of letting young people go back to their hometowns
Wang Ying immediately lively mind again, clamoring to go to college
“Isn’t it a good thing to go to university?” Xu asked, puzzled
Sister-in-law Li sighed softly: “Yes, it is good to go to college But she doesn’t just want to go to college she also wants a divorce!”
Xu Man let out an ah, “What’s the inevitable connection between going to college and getting a divorce?”
“How many people do you think are as bold as you? You don’t even go to college and follow the road camp to this deserted island to suffer and suffer That Wang Ying is not as capable as you are, but he is much more ambitious than you are! He thinks he’ll get in once he takes the exam, so of course he doesn’t want to be dragged down by Zhao Gang and his father” Sister-in-law Li bristled in disdain, “She’s got a wild heart! She’s still thinking of going back to the city to be a golden girl when she gets into college Isn’t it true that some young people are returning to the city one after another? She heard that she regretted marrying a big old man like Zhao Gang! She might as well stay on the farm for another year and a half”
Xu Man didn’t understand, “What’s wrong with being a soldier? What’s wrong with her?”
“That’s why you’re different from ordinary girls Besides, Lu Ying is at least a cadre, but Zhao Gang is just a soldier, and his monthly allowance is not much money, so he can’t keep a woman like Wang Ying Fortunately, our military marriage is protected by law, as long as Zhao Gang does not nod, Wang Ying can not leave”
“Forced melons aren’t sweet! Why don’t you let them divorce? Isn’t it hard to fight like this?” Xu asked not understanding
“Zhao Gang’s family has only one boy, Zhao Gang For him to get married, the family has emptied its coffers and owes a lot of money to the famine Now there’s an extra child who’s still breastfeeding If Wang Ying leaves, what will happen to the child? Zhao Gang is an old man, and his parents are too old to take care of themselves, much less the child We can’t let Zhao Gang’s married sisters take care of the child for him, can we?”
Sister-in-law Li shook her head, “This Wang Ying is also a good person, you can’t see Zhao Gang, why do you want to spend money on him?”
Xu Wen didn’t know what to say, and blamed himself for the trouble Zhao Gang had gotten into by borrowing information
In the tent, there was shouting and cursing, and the sound of things falling, for a while, before slowly quieting down
Sister-in-law Li hurriedly boomed Xu asked: “Take advantage of the quiet and hurry back to sleep a little! The fight may start again in a while You also have to be careful, this Wang Ying looks quiet, but she’s very shrewd! Don’t go back and make it hard for you to live in peace”
Even if you want to take a nap in the hot sun, you can’t fall asleep just by thinking about it
The tent cloth is just a thin layer, and once baked by the sun, the inside of the tent can be a sauna
Xu Man thought it would be good to have an air conditioner at this time
No air conditioning fan is fine
If not, ice would do
Thinking of ice, Xu Man had an idea
She remembered that she could make ice cubes in ancient times, and the lack of electricity and refrigerators in ancient times was similar to her current situation
Then she should be able to do it
But just because she could didn’t mean she would, so it was a good thing she had the Magic Mirror
Xu Wen closed her eyes and quieted her mind to summon the magic mirror, “Magic mirror magic mirror, the child wants to know how ice was made in ancient times?”
The magic mirror mirror instantly became a display screen, playing an animation for Xu Man to see
Ice making was particularly simple, using only something called saltpeter
“Can ice made this way be given directly to children to eat?”
“Of course not! Ice made from saltpeter is even more poisonous than the apple in Snow White’s stepmother’s hand! Are you trying to poison your child?!” The magic mirror angrily made a piercing sound
Piercingly Xu Wen’s brain buzzed, thinking I’m just asking if it’s edible or not, but it’s not like you’re the one who has to make me known as a child with this broken system
The magic mirror heard her heart, gave birth to a few moments of emptiness, and for the first time answered her without using Xu Man to be known as a child, “If you want to consume it, you can use the double-layer ice-making method”
After the magic mirror finished speaking, a specific tutorial animation played on the display
It was still nitrate ice making, but it wasn’t directly put into water Instead, they used two pots, one large and one small, the small pot put drinking water, and put saltpeter into the water of the large pot, and made ice across the pot
More amazingly, the saltpeter ice can also be recycled through evaporation and crystallization
“Warm tips Although there was no refrigerator in ancient times but there was an Ice Almanac, which functioned similarly to a refrigerator ”
The more Xu Wen looked at it, the more he felt that the days didn’t actually have to be so bitter and miserable
“Magic mirror magic mirror, the child wants to know how to make a simple refrigerator?
“Magic Mirror Magic Mirror, the child wants to make an air conditioner by himself, what materials are needed?”
“Magic Mirror Magic Mirror ”
In the name of the child, Xu Wen harvested many, many diy craft tutorials as well as the necessary materials
When Lu Yuanzheng returned to his tent, Xu Man was fanning Dongsheng with one hand and writing and drawing on paper with the other
He took off his clothes and hung them on the rack and asked Xu Man, “What are you busy with if you’re not sleeping?”
Xu Wen sighed, “Too hot to sleep”
Lu Yuanzheng glanced towards the bed and thought for a moment, “When these days are over, I’ll make you a bamboo bed, that’s cooler to sleep on”
“Good! But I want ice now Lu Yuanzheng do you know about saltpeter?”
“Know” Lu Yuanzheng nodded, one of the raw materials used to make gunpowder, how dare he not know “Why are you asking this?”
“I want to come and make ice Can you ask someone to help buy some back?”
“Do you use much? You don’t need someone to buy it if you don’t have much, there is one on the island”
“Huh?” Xu Man’s eyes lit up, “Really? Where?”
“Those whitened rocks we saw on the beach today, those white frosts on the surface are it”
Xu Man stood up, “Can you accompany me now to find some saltpeter first?”
Lu Yuanzheng frowned, somewhat hesitant, “Now? The sun is very poisonous outside, and you’ll be the one who gets blisters all over your body!”
“It’s fine, I’ll cover it tightly” Xu Wen got up to look for a jacket, hot spots are better than sunburn
Dongsheng rolled out of bed and signed up, “I’ll go too!”
Lu Yuanzheng: “”
Xu Wen looked back at Dongsheng: “Why are you still awake?”
“It’s too hot to sleep” Dongsheng hung his head as he spoke, feeling a little embarrassed for letting Xu Man fan himself for so long
Xu Man touched Dongsheng’s head, “It’s okay, it’s not your fault that you can’t sleep Let’s go, let’s go pick up saltpeter together and come back to make ice, if we can make it work, we won’t have to be afraid of the heat”
“Good!” Dongsheng happily clapped his hands and put on his clothes
Lu Yuanzheng turned out two straw hats of his own and gave the two of them one to wear
Xu Wen was fine, people look good any way
Dongsheng people are small, wearing Lu Yuanzheng’s straw hat is very big, a little funny, easily cover the eyes, every now and then you have to hold up a hand
Lu Yuanzheng led them mother and son to the island to find saltpeter
Rocks, small caves, and deserted dwellings also to the soil containing saltpeter
They got a lot of it back
Xu Man first borrowed the cooking class pots and stoves, these get back the saltpeter soil ah saltpeter stone first through such as filtration and other procedures, to get the higher purity of the white crystals back to their own tents
And borrowed a large and small two pots, to the small pots are filled with cool water that can be drunk directly
The saltpeter and the water according to the ratio into the big basin
While waiting for the water to freeze, Xu Wen also made her own simple small refrigerator
In fact, there is no technical content, she looked for two wooden box set together, the middle gap filled with sand, small wooden box outside the first wrapped a thick layer of cotton cover, the inside is also paved with cotton cover also paved a layer of plastic sheet waterproof
When the ice is done she took the ice out and put it in the simple refrigerator, and began to do the second ice
The large basin of ice has a layer of white frost, is the saltpeter, collect it can be reused
While waiting for the ice to form again, Xu Man took a few mangoes picked from the island and peeled the skin and pureed the pulp
The sweet flavor of the mango made Dongsheng’s mouth water
Xu Man took a mango, peeled the skin and gave it to Dongsheng
Dongsheng shook his head, “Ma Ma wait for you to finish before I eat”
“Okay!” Xu Man also chopped up the mango and threw it into a large bowl, added some water, and then put it into a larger basin, scraping down the saltpeter on the ice again and putting it into the large basin
After a while, such as mango water frozen into ice, Xu Man took out the big bowl, took a few small bowls one by one on the table, with a folding knife Lu Yuanzheng cleaned the mango ice scraped into the mud first in the bottom of the bowl to spread a layer in the ice mud to put a layer of mango meat, and then lay a layer of ice mud until three bowls are filled
Xu Man took a small spoon and handed it to Dongsheng, “Taste it!”
“What’s good to eat?” Lu Yuanzheng entered and eeped, “Seems a bit cool? Bringing ice?”
Xu Wen took the towel that could wring out water from Lu Yuanzheng’s neck, threw it into the water basin, and handed him a bowl of smoothie, “Try it! It’s called Mango Sheep Ice!”