The couple held hands in the car, chatting intimately, until Xiangxi's loud voice from outside the car called out, "Xiao Lanzhi, Mingxuan Ge, what are you two dawdling in the car for? The barbecue is ready, hurry down and eat." Only then did the couple realize they had been in the car for quite some time. Chen Lan also remembered to get medicine for Third Sister's aunt, so she said, "Mingxuan Ge, you go down first, I'll get Third Sister's aunt some anti-inflammatory medicine and plasters for her back pain."
As soon as Xu Mingxuan got out of the car, Chen Lan immediately used her mind to open the system and ordered anti-inflammatory pain relief medicine and Chinese herbal liniments.
Chen Lan got out of the car with the medicine. The air in the yard was filled with the rich aroma of meat. She saw everyone gathered around the barbecue grill, eating roasted meat and drinking from wine bottles. The children of the family, big and small, had also returned from school and were gathered around the barbecue, eating heartily.
On another grill, an entire sheep was being roasted. Third Sister's aunt's two daughters-in-law were constantly basting the whole sheep with sauce. The roasted whole sheep was now emitting a strong aroma of meat and sauce, truly tantalizing the nostrils.
Xu Mingxuan called Chen Lan to sit beside him and handed her a skewer of extra-large grilled meat. Chen Lan took the iron skewer, and good heavens, the chunk of meat on it was probably more than half a pound.
Chen Lan took a bite. It was very tender and chewy, with the aroma of meat mingling with the natural fragrance of the wood. It was incredibly delicious.
After eating half of the skewer of grilled meat, Chen Lan was so full of greasy richness that she couldn't eat anymore. Looking up at the others, the adults were all devouring grilled meat and gulping down strong liquor, and even the children had greasy faces.
Seeing that Chen Lan couldn't eat any more, Xu Mingxuan took the unfinished skewer of meat from her, put it back on the fire to roast a bit, and then ate it down in a few bites. Sudan Fiction Network
Third Sister's aunt, seeing Chen Lan's small appetite, handed her a plate of homemade pickled cucumbers and told her to eat a couple to stimulate her appetite.
Chen Lan reached out and took a pickled cucumber from the plate and took a bite. You know, Third Sister's aunt's homemade pickled cucumbers weren't just sour; they had a hint of sweetness and a very pure, grease-cutting flavor.
After finishing one pickled cucumber, Chen Lan reached for another. As she took a bite, she asked, "Third Sister's aunt, your pickled cucumbers are really delicious, so tangy and appetizing. Do you have a secret recipe for pickling them?"
Third Sister's aunt smiled and said, "What secret recipe? It's actually very simple to pickle cucumbers. You just need clean boiled water, a little salt, and a few simple ingredients like fennel, tomatoes, and three or four leaves of su bai. I didn't add a drop of vinegar when making them. I only added a little garlic for sterilization, letting the sourness develop naturally through fermentation. This way, the pickled cucumbers taste pure. However, it's best to use our Northeast dry cucumbers because they have less water and firmer flesh, which makes for a better texture when pickled."
Third Sister's aunt handed Chen Lan two grilled oysters and asked, "Mira, would you like to have some more grilled oysters? They're especially fresh when grilled."
Chen Lan nodded and took the two oysters. They smelled really good. Eagerly, she took a bite, and a strong fishy smell hit her. Chen Lan forced herself to swallow, suppressing her nausea, and handed the other oyster to Xu Mingxuan, then reached for another pickled cucumber.
Seeing this, Third Sister's aunt didn't force Chen Lan anymore. She just said, "You're such a small eater. Eat more if you like it, and I'll pack some for you to eat slowly later."
As they were talking, Third Sister's aunt seemed to remember something and whispered something in Chen Lan's ear. Chen Lan's eyes widened in surprise, and she could only say, "It can't be, can it?"
Third Sister's aunt whispered, "How can it not be? Mira, you're still so young. I was thirty-five when I was pregnant with our Milan Na! I think you're definitely like this!"
Chen Lan lowered her head, thought about it, and then counted on her fingers. It was indeed true. She was almost two months along. Ever since she came here, she had been busy exchanging for food and hadn't had a moment's rest, forgetting about her period.
Xu Mingxuan, a skilled scout, although he hadn't heard clearly what Third Sister's aunt had said to Chen Lan, could guess most of it from Chen Lan's surprised expression and her action of counting on her fingers.
So, suppressing his immense excitement, he took Chen Lan's hand and whispered, "Lan'er, is it really good news? We're having another child, aren't we?"
Chen Lan nodded happily and whispered, "Mingxuan Ge, I think it's good news, it must be right! I didn't expect Dr. Guo's medicine to be so effective. I haven't had any signs for over ten years, and I thought I'd never be able to have another child."
At this point, Third Sister's aunt leaned in and whispered, "Mira, Nikola, the child is still young and delicate. Don't tell anyone until after three months, okay?"
The couple nodded, happily accepting Third Sister's aunt's advice and deciding not to reveal it yet. After sitting for a while longer, seeing that it was getting late, the couple got up to leave. Xiangxi would stay at Third Sister's aunt's house.
Third Sister's aunt didn't try to keep the couple, only reminding them to be careful on the road. Chen Lan walked to the back of Xiangxi's old Dongfeng car and packed a large portion of the food, sausages, and frozen fish they had exchanged that day. She left the rest of the goods in his car and then got into Xu Mingxuan's old Jiefang and left Third Sister's aunt's house.
The next morning, after breakfast, the couple, with their car fully loaded, set off from Pogranichny. They met up with Andrei at the entrance of his friend Kovaly's rural cooperative in Ussuriysk. Xu Mingxuan exchanged a few pleasantries with Kovaly, and the three waved goodbye to Kovaly and set off in their two cars towards Vladivostok.
After driving for more than three hours, they reached their destination at 1:30 PM. The three wasted no time and drove directly to the state-run department store in Vladivostok.
Chen Lan was again in charge of distributing the goods, while Andrei, Xu Mingxuan, and two buyers from the state-run department store were responsible for inventory and accounting. Fortunately, the department store had dedicated movers, and the goods they needed were quickly inventoried and moved into the store.
While Andrei and Xu Mingxuan went inside to settle the payment, Chen Lan took the opportunity to meticulously organize the car's cargo area.