Xu Mingxuan, seeing his mother's emotions stabilize, quickly introduced her and Uncle De, Uncle Fu, and everyone else. "Mother, Uncle De, Uncle Fu, Er Hu, Xiang Dong, let me introduce you. This is the commander of the border defense battalion here, Comrade Commander Zheng, and this young soldier is Comrade Li Daqiang." As he spoke, he pointed to Commander Zheng and Li Daqiang as he introduced them.
"It was these two comrades who led me here. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known how to find this place. It's nothing but mountains and trees, really hard to find."
The mother wiped away her tears and immediately showed a warm smile, warmly welcoming Commander Zheng. "Commander Zheng! Thank you so much! Thank you very much for coming all this way to bring Mingxuan back. Thank you! And thank you, this young comrade too!"
As the mother spoke, she suddenly stopped and pointed at Zheng Sanpao and Li Daqiang. "Why do you two look so familiar? Have we met somewhere before?"
Li Daqiang was the first to salute the mother. "Auntie, I'm the Little Li who came to the valley to move grain last time. You can call me Xiao Li, Daqiang, or Qiangzi. Anything is fine."
The mother nodded, looking at Zheng Sanpao with a puzzled expression.
Commander Zheng quickly said, "Auntie, I was the one who checked your passes when you left the pass. My name is Zheng Sanpao. Auntie, you can just call me Sanpao! My mother calls me that too."
The mother said, "That's what I thought! No wonder you looked so familiar!"
Zheng Sanpao continued, "Auntie, I'm here today on behalf of the comrades in the battalion to thank you and the comrades in the valley for the grain, meat, and various foodstuffs you sent. We are truly grateful!"
The mother and everyone else repeatedly waved their hands. "No need to thank us! It's our duty. It's our duty. You are all here a long way from home to protect the country. We're just doing our part."
The mother suddenly remembered the meat simmering in the pot and quickly said, "Perfect! The children hunted a wild boar yesterday, and today we're having stewed pork. I still have meat simmering in the pot. You must be hungry after walking such a long mountain path! Come, let's go have some stewed pork."
De Shun and Chen Fu, hurry up and invite Comrade Commander Zheng and Comrade Little Li to sit at the table. Today, we're treating these two comrades to stewed pork."
Xu Mingxuan said, "Uncle De, Uncle Fu, please help me entertain Commander Zheng and Little Li first. I'll go up the mountain to pick up Xiao Lan."
Uncle De said, "You've traveled so far, and you're injured. You don't need to go. Ask Er Hu and Xiang Dong to go."
Having said that, he was about to call Xiang Dong and Er Hu.
At this moment, Xiang Xi shouted loudly, "Brother Mingxuan, you don't need to go. Look, isn't that Xiao Lan?"
Everyone looked and saw it was Chen Lan, carrying three or four dried tree branches as thick as an adult's arm, and holding something in her hand. It was too far to see clearly what it was.
Xiang Dong and Er Hu quickly ran forward to greet her. Xu Mingxuan was a few steps behind. The two took the dried tree branches from Chen Lan. It's unclear what Xiang Dong and Er Hu said to Chen Lan.
Perhaps they told her that Xu Mingxuan had returned.
Chen Lan stood there motionless, and tears streamed down her face before she knew it. Chen Lan wiped her face with her hand. This must be the original owner's emotions.
She looked up at the tall, thin young man walking towards her. Yes, it was the original owner's husband, Xu Mingxuan. Her emotions were complicated at that moment, mixed with the original owner's obsession. She didn't know how to face him, her throat felt choked by something, and her vision was blurred.
Just as Chen Lan was at a loss, Xu Mingxuan took a small hedgehog from her hand with one hand and took her hand with the other. Chen Lan was startled and didn't know what to do. Her face turned red, feeling a little awkward and embarrassed.
She unconsciously followed Xu Mingxuan back. Xu Mingxuan held Chen Lan's calloused hand, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He was now more convinced that his mother and his wife must have suffered a lot here. He had just seen his mother holding a spatula earlier.
If Chen Lan knew what Xu Mingxuan was thinking at that moment, she could only say, "This is a beautiful misunderstanding."
At this moment, the mother ran over, relieving Chen Lan's awkwardness. The mother took the small hedgehog from Xu Mingxuan's hand and said, "Oh! It's a little hedgehog! Did you catch it for Jia Yao and Jia Hui to play with?"
This was caught in the woods earlier and was intended for the twins to play with at home.
Chen Lan hummed in response and said nothing more.
The mother then dropped another bombshell: "Mingxuan, do you know? Xiao Lan gave birth to a pair of twins for you."
Xu Mingxuan immediately clenched Chen Lan's hand tightly and asked with a trembling voice, "Xiao Lan, is it true? I have a son, haha, I have a son, haha, and I have a daughter. Haha."
The mother discontentedly reached out and slapped Xu Mingxuan's shoulder. "You brat, what 'steamed' or 'boiled'? Do you think your mother would lie to you? When you get home, you'll see my two precious grandchildren. They're both at home. It's cold, so they're not out playing. Your mother-in-law is helping to look after them.
Come on, let's not dawdle. Commander Zheng is still waiting for you, and everyone has been busy all morning waiting to eat stewed pork. Hurry up and get to your seats. Today we have distinguished guests. I'll ask Mai Zi to make a few more of her signature dishes for you to go with the drinks." With that, she quickly walked towards the main kitchen without waiting for refusal.
Before Commander Zheng Sanpao could even refuse, the mother had already entered the kitchen.
Chen Lan also took the opportunity to slip in to help. Oh my god! So embarrassing.
Everyone worked together, setting up three tables. They nimbly cut the already stewed meat, liver, trotters, and ham hocks into pieces and served them in large bowls, accompanied by garlic paste, chili, vinegar, and other seasonings at each table.
In a short while, the stewed sauerkraut was served, followed by dishes like stir-fried pork with peppers, stir-fried liver, braised rabbit, and spicy chicken.
Commander Zheng, sitting at the table, looked at the table full of meat dishes and lamented, "Life in the valley is really good. In my hometown, life was truly poor back then. Being able to have a full meal during the New Year was considered a good year! I don't know how things are now. My mother had a hard life and passed away from exhaustion."
Xu Mingxuan interjected, "Commander Zheng, everything will get better. Didn't you say your wife would come here to settle down at the beginning of the year? Here, as long as people are diligent and hardworking, and the family is reunited, life will be good!"
Uncle De smiled and said, "Commander Zheng, you're lucky. We've been in this valley for several months and haven't seen anything bigger than a wild goat. Yesterday, the children encountered a wild boar and killed it. It was too late to make stewed pork yesterday, so we had to save it for today. You're lucky! You have good fortune! And today, you brought Mingxuan home."