Chen Lan saw that Xiang Xi still looked unconvinced, so she immediately stopped talking, fearing that it would arouse Xiang Xi's dislike and ruin everything. Seeing that the fire in the stove had started burning, she added a few more large pieces of firewood to it, then walked into the inner room, nimbly swept the kang with the broom, kicked off her shoes, and climbed onto the kang. She spread out the slightly damp quilt, and with a natural smile, intending to change the subject, she asked, "Little Watermelon, has it arrived at the time for the border market fair again these past two days?"
Xiang Xi took off his snow boots and replied excitedly, "Yes! It's the day after tomorrow. Little Lan, you've come back at just the right time. Tomorrow, let's prepare well, and the day after tomorrow, I'll take you to the fair on my motorcycle."
Chen Lan immediately refused, "Little Watermelon, riding a motorcycle won't do. If we go, let's go by ox cart!"
Xiang Xi, unhappy, immediately retorted, "Little Lan, why not? Didn't you promise me? If I behaved well today, you'd let me ride the motorcycle? You can't go back on your word, can you?"
Chen Lan saw that Xiang Xi misunderstood her and quickly explained, "Little Watermelon, calm down, calm down. The reason I'm not letting you ride the motorcycle to the border market fair is not what you think."
Xiang Xi impatiently continued to press, "It's not that you want to go back on your word, so what's the reason? Little Lan, I really want to see what kind of reason you can use to convince me today."
Chen Lan's smile faded, and she said with a serious expression, "Little Watermelon, have you forgotten about us donating the shops?"
Xiang Xi asked confusedly, "Little Lan, of course, I haven't forgotten! We donated all our shops just to get a good social status, didn't we? Besides, what does donating shops have to do with riding a motorcycle?"
Chen Lan cleared her throat and then said very earnestly, "It has a lot to do with it. Little Watermelon, you know that private ownership of vehicles is not allowed now, not even ox carts or horse-drawn carriages. They've all been donated or confiscated. Little Watermelon, think about it, isn't that right?"
Xiang Xi drooped his head, looking dejected, and then listlessly nodded.
Chen Lan continued, "Little Watermelon, I'll analyze the important reasons why I'm not letting you ride the motorcycle to the border market fair today. Little Watermelon, you know! When Mingxuan Ge and I go out this time, we're going under the pretext of receiving donated supplies from (a patriotic expatriate)! So this motorcycle was donated by (a patriotic expatriate)! This means this motorcycle belongs to the company, right? That is, it belongs to the country, not to us! Right?"
When Xiang Xi heard Chen Lan say this, he immediately backed down, nodded regretfully, and then, still somewhat unconvinced, asked, "Little Lan, so what if it belongs to the company? Can't I borrow it to ride?"
Chen Lan glanced at Xiang Xi's look of dashed hopes and said with a smile, "Little Watermelon, that's right, you can borrow it to ride, but have you thought about it? This military motorcycle is very important strategic material, it's military supplies, that is, state property. Public property cannot be used for private gain, you know that? You, a commoner, riding military supplies and state property to show off, isn't that like asking for death? If someone were to investigate, not only would you implicate Mingxuan Ge and Captain Liu, but you would also implicate me and our entire valley. What would you do then? Are you also planning to report me?"
When Xiang Xi heard Chen Lan say this, he immediately retorted unhappily, "Little Lan, what are you talking about? Am I, Chen Xiang Xi, that kind of person? You underestimate me too much. If I don't ride it, I won't ride it. It's no big deal!"
Chen Lan saw Xiang Xi looking dejected, like his favorite toy had been snatched away. She felt a pang of sympathy. To be honest, over the years, he hadn't had anything he particularly liked or couldn't let go of. So she reached out and patted Xiang Xi on the shoulder and said, "Little Watermelon, don't be discouraged. We can't ride it here. We can go to the Soviet Union to ride it! Or we can ride it back in the valley. What do you think?"
When Xiang Xi heard Chen Lan finish, his expression instantly changed. His mouth stretched into a wide grin, and he nodded excitedly, repeatedly saying, "Yes, yes, that's right, that's right. Little Lan, we won't ride it here, we'll ride it back in the valley. But Little Lan, you have to compensate me. When we get back to the valley, you have to buy me a brand new one! One that no one has ridden before! I don't want an old one or a second-hand one!"
When Chen Lan heard Xiang Xi's words, she burst into laughter. This was the real Little Watermelon! How could he give up and compromise so easily? This was his personality of never wanting to be at a disadvantage! She had worried about him for nothing, thinking his fragile heart couldn't handle the shock of losing his favorite toy.
So she laughed heartily without restraint, and didn't stop for a while. She laughed so much that Xiang Xi was bewildered! He thought he had angered Chen Lan to the point of confusion, and he immediately pleaded hesitantly, "Little Lan, Little Lan, don't be angry anymore. An old one is fine too. Whatever kind you give me, I'll ride it. Really! I won't mind."
Chen Lan laughed even harder when she saw Xiang Xi like this. Just then, Xu Mingxuan pushed open the door and walked in. Seeing them like this, he asked, "Xiang Xi, Lan'er, what are you talking about that's making you so happy?"
Chen Lan smiled and waved her hand, "It's nothing. Little Watermelon was just telling a joke."
Xu Mingxuan pressed, "What joke is so funny? Tell me so I can hear it?"
Xiang Xi was a bit embarrassed. Chen Lan immediately explained, "Mingxuan Ge, it's just an ordinary joke. I'm laughing because the way Xiang Xi tells jokes is funnier than the jokes themselves."
After saying that, she immediately changed the subject and asked, "By the way, Mingxuan Ge, did you clarify the matter of the bear hides with Captain Liu?"
Xu Mingxuan took off his cotton hat, rubbed his buzz cut, and replied, "No, I couldn't bring myself to say it!"
Chen Lan asked in surprise, "Why? Mingxuan Ge, we hunted it ourselves, and we can't even get a bear hide?"
Xu Mingxuan nodded and said softly, "The forest is national property, and the game is also national property. They must be surrendered. I discussed it with Captain Liu and a few others. After we process these bear hides and wolf hides, we'll distribute them to the soldiers with more severe leg injuries."
Chen Lan heard this and was very helpless. She had nothing more to say, so she asked, "Leg injuries, is that like frostbite?"