It’s a Stepmother, Not a Sister [70s]

    Xue Li took the rejection letter from the postman. She was thinking about the returned drawings, and her heart beat pounding.

    "Look at how nervous you are..." - Seeing her blushing and heartbeat, the postman next to her immediately began to laugh when she saw it.

    "Receive the letter, take it home, and submit it to another place next time."

    "It would be boring without you to rush letters every day."

    "The manuscripts have all been returned, what should I urge..." When Xue Li took the rejection letter in her hand, she first felt that the thickness was not right. The manuscripts they sent in the past, Should be thicker - point.

    "How many drawings did you send? All of them returned? Why are they so thick--taps."

    "You still need to say, it's more than ten pages, not thick or thick." Xue Li shook the letter in his hand, but did not open it at that time, but said goodbye to the postman, turned and walked home .

    Although she was prepared to be rejected, Xue Li was still a little disappointed when she actually took the rejection letter in her hand.

    Climb upstairs and open the door, she has no strength: "Mom, I'm back."

    Mother Xue was still sitting in front of the sewing machine, stepping on the machine in front of her, she looked up at Xue Li, who entered the room, and asked, "When do you want to use the machine? ?"

    "Wait." Xue Li was about to finish the dress she was going to give to Jiang Shuangling.

    "You can make it today, and iron it tomorrow so you can give it to others. Are you going to the training class the day after tomorrow? ... Your skills are too ordinary."

    "Of course I can't make clothes better than your old tailor."

    "Let me do it for you, but you won't."

    "Of course I have to make my own gift for others. Besides, although my craftsmanship is not as good as my mother's, I can do much better than the women in the textile factory. Jiang Mei has a good figure. , it must be beautiful in clothes."

    "People look good, and they look good in any clothes, even those with patches."

    "What do you have in your hand? The envelope? Did you respond there?"

    "Reject the letter, I haven't opened it yet."

    Xue Li put the letter on the table in the room first, then went to wash her hands with soap, carefully dry the water stains with a clean towel, and then returned to the room to hold the envelope in her hand .

    She did not tear open the envelope violently, but cut the envelope with a small blade, and soon, she saw the contents of the envelope.

    Seeing what was inside through the seal, Xue Li was stunned.

    She subconsciously pulled out all the contents of the envelope, and found that it was not the manuscript that she and Jiang Shuangling sent, but some other pages.

    Xue Li: "???"

    She opened the white papers and read the contents clearly, and she was very pleasantly surprised. This was a letter from the editor to them, saying that their manuscript had been finalized and would be posted on the next page. Monthly Journal…

    The letter also gave a lot of suggestions on the evaluation and revision of the draft.

    …

    Xue Li read it word for word, and the agitation in her heart was unparalleled. I never thought that their manuscript was actually selected!

    Jiang Mei drew better!

      sheet.

    "Mom! Mom! Our drawing has been selected!" Xue Li rushed out with the envelope.

    "Are you kidding? Are you really selected?"

    "Is that still fake? Look, there are more than 40 manuscript fees. Here is the remittance slip. I will go to the post office to pick up the money later." They sent a total of twelve Pages of drawings, - three yuan and six yuan per page, all manuscript fees are forty-three yuan and two yuan.

    She and Jiang Shuangling are half of each other, that is more than twenty yuan, which is almost her monthly salary.

    What a surprise!

    They are also required to continue to provide manuscripts, about ten pages of manuscripts per month, and the specific publication depends on the situation. Jiang Shuangling had discussed it with Xue Li before. The short story she wrote was not too long, about 90 pages.

    Xue Li made the calculations in her heart, the serialization of the entire drawing was completed, which was a considerable sum, and for her, it was a windfall.

    When mother Xue learned that the situation was true, she was overjoyed, "more than twenty dollars? There is such a good thing? We have to celebrate at night, let's buy some meat at night. , there are some meat tickets left at home."

    "Jiang Shuangling doesn't know about this yet, tell her quickly!"

    "I want to tell her too, but I don't know where she lives yet? She doesn't live in Rongcheng. I won't be able to meet her until the next training class." Xue Li was anxious. , I can't wait to see Jiang Mei immediately, I want to tell her about this happy event, but I don't know where she is, but I didn't suffocate her to death.

    They are going to continue to prepare drawings.

    "You didn't lose money in this art training class. It only took a few days to earn back the tuition..."

    "Mom, you stopped me from going, it's because of me that I met Jiang Mei, she is really a genius!"

    …

      Jiang Shuangling.

    After that, I went to cut two kilograms of meat, returned home, and had a rare meal at night—a rich meal, lighting the night light, Xue Li spent a lot of time—making that dress at night All right.

    White shirt top, blue bottom skirt, spread flat on the bed, the style is very beautiful, Xue Li likes it more and more, and originally wanted to make it for herself. …

    Forget it, she thought.

    Too much pressure.

    As for the steamed buns made by Qi Heng, Jiang Shuangling also has two big ones. The hot steamed buns are fine. When I went to see them in the evening, all that was left in the steamer were hard white bricks, maybe they could be smashed. The kind of dead people.

    Jiang Shuangling: “…”

    She could only ask Qi Heng, the initiator, to help cut the hard steamed buns into pieces, then beat two eggs and stirred them into egg liquid, wrapped the steamed bun slices with a layer of egg liquid, and placed them in a small frying pan. After frying until fragrant, sprinkle some fine salt and let Qi Heng take it out.

    The fried steamed bread slices are surprisingly good.

    Qi Yue picked up a golden-yellow steamed bun with a slightly burnt fragrance, broke it off effortlessly, gave the larger half to Jiang Che, and the lesser half to himself, "Jiang Er, I'll give you half."

    Jiang Che glanced at the two unevenly distributed pieces of steamed buns. The half that Qi Yue gave him was about the thickness of three fingers, while what Qi Yue left for himself was only the size of a little finger.

    “…”

    Jiang Che originally wanted to refuse, but he took a breath, smelled the aroma of eggs on it, and his hungry stomach growled, so he raised his hand and took the piece.

    The two little guys were holding the steamed bread slices in their hands, and they still felt lingering fears when they recalled the situation of eating steamed bread in the morning.

    …toothache.

    Adhering to the faith of a strong man, Jiang Che lowered his head and took a bite. The steamed bread slices in his mouth were extremely crispy, like small biscuits. The white bricks that choked to death were completely different.

    He finished the steamed buns in his hand in three or two bites.

    And Qi Yue over there had also finished eating, so he happily went to get another slice of steamed buns, only to find that most of them had already been eaten by Qi Heng.

    Qi Yue: "!

    Jiang Che: "?????"

    …

    When Jiang Shuangling came out of the kitchen, she found that the plate that had just been brought out was almost empty: "...Is it gone?"

    "I-never tasted it?"

    Qi Heng pointed to the plate, and the three left the rest of the steamed bread to her.

    Jiang Shuangling couldn’t help laughing and laughing. She tasted one slice and found that the steamed bun slices she had fried tasted surprisingly good, “Would you three drink some soup?—After eating so much, be careful of choking.”

    "Sister, I still want to eat steamed buns!"

    Jiang Shuangling laughed: "Are you sure?"

    This morning, the three of them were all showing their unrequited love for "I never want to eat steamed buns again in this life", and now they like to eat steamed buns again.

    "Next time, eat too much and get angry." In the end it was fried.

    "Do it when you go on a spring outing the day after tomorrow - order some food on the road?"

    The reason why Jiang Shuangling bought a lot of candy was also for the two little guys' spring outing. Although the materials in this era are not rich, but not eating snacks during the spring outing is really not in line with Jiang Shuangling's spring outing understanding.

    She went out for a spring outing when she was in elementary school, waiting for her teacher to hand out chocolates and jelly.

    Prepare peach cakes and red bean glutinous rice cakes for the two little guys in advance, let them eat on the road.

    The day before the spring outing, Jiang Shuangling met the military sister-in-law, Zhou Huijuan, who had obtained the post of primary school Chinese teacher. She was an unattractive woman. She was dark and thin, but her smile was extraordinarily soft and kind. His voice was a little hoarse, not as sharp as Luo Hongchun's.

    "The painting on the back of their class was drawn by you, right? The painting is so good that many children like it. I heard that your previous painting was also in the newspaper. A talented sister-in-law."

    - Jiang Shuangling had a toothache when she mentioned the painting that was in the newspaper, "You all know that my painting was in the newspaper?"

    "Yes, everyone knows, the whole family home has spread, you really know how to draw."

    Jiang Shuangling felt that her head had grown by three points. Now she regrets it, and regrets it very much. She can't wait to go back to the day she left.

    She originally thought it was just a biography in the village, who knew that it would still be published in the newspaper? ?

    "By the way, sister-in-law Jiang, we will go out for a spring outing in our school tomorrow. If you want to go with us, can you help the children in our class draw some pictures? I also want to post them in the classroom. on the wall..."

    "Huh?" Jiang Shuangling was stunned, "Can I go too?"

    "Yes, we also have a car in our family home."

    Only now did Jiang Shuangling know that these children originally went out for a spring outing and borrowed a few soldiers to follow along.

    Yes, although it is only a spring outing, but also pay attention to safety.

    "I'll ask the children if they want me to go along with me." Jiang Shuangling herself is necessary, but she is afraid that the children will mind. Follow along.

    I asked Qiyue and Jiang Che two little guys, and they didn't reject them, so Jiang Shuangling got into the family's car the next day and went out with the bus of their elementary school spring outing group.

    They went to a park on the outskirts of Rongcheng.

    The parks of this era are still very natural, and there are not many people in the parks, only the uncle sweeping the floor, leisurely smoking a cigarette, and sweeping the roadside with a broom from time to time.

     "Children, don't run around, don't quarrel with each other, be obedient, and line up."

    "The boys in the back are not allowed to pull the girls' hair!"

    …

    The children visited the monument first, then followed the group to climb the mountain, while Jiang Shuangling followed the group of primary school students to write and draw.

    All the primary school students, including the teacher and the principal, all wore a little red riding hood, and Jiang Shuangling was not uncommon. She was given a little red riding hood by the school. Only the soldiers next to her did not wear a little red riding hood.

    Her sketches were very fast, and she drew several pictures very quickly. Some of them helped Zhou Huijuan to draw their classmates, and she also drew Qiyue Jiang Che and two little guys.

    At this moment, Jiang Shuangling finally saw the whole picture of their first-year children Dali, Erli, Sanli-Lu Pai to Xiaohua.

    The heights of Qi Yue and Jiang Che ranked the last in the class, Jiang Che was the shortest, and Dong Xiaohua next to him was a little taller than him.

    "Teacher she cried..."

    "Teacher, I can't walk."

    "Teacher, I want to go there and see."

    "Teacher..."

    …

    Jiang Shuangling hid in the group of teachers with Little Red Riding Hood, and she was thankful that she was not a teacher countless times. These groups of children are like little yellow ducks chatting in the duck farm. Teacher", a "teacher" in the west, as if there were countless things to say.

    It's so noisy.

    —While thinking this way, Jiang Shuangling’s subordinates did not stop moving—the cartoons that the little guys huddled together and discussed were formed on the white paper.

    There were six or seven elementary school teachers, the old principal, and five soldiers who helped take care of the children.

    The children are still obedient, but they still torment the five soldiers, "Uncle, can you help me pick a flower?"

    "No."

    "Uncle, can you hold me down? I want to look high."

    "Inappropriate."

    "Can I ride on your shoulders?"

    …

      , rest for a while and immediately become alive and well.

    The younger the child, the more aggressive, the older one is much calmer.

    Jiang Shuangling has drawn a lot of interesting paintings, at least a dozen of them, only a few are more complicated, the others are simple sketches sketched at random, but they are all very beautiful.

    Some children also like to draw. Jiang Shuangling distributed them a piece of white paper and brushes, and took a few little guys to sit on the stone bench and teach them to draw.

    The children learn well.

    The old principal looked at the beautiful woman over there teaching the children to draw and asked Zhou Huijuan next to him curiously, "That's also from your family home?"

    "Well, that's the home of Qiying Chief."

    "Qi Heng? Then they are quite a match. Have you read books? City people?"

    "In the village, he has studied and graduated from high school. He is literate."

    "Really? Why didn't she want to be a teacher before?"

    "It seems that I like to draw, but I don't want to be a language teacher."

    “How is she drawing?”

    "I heard her paintings were in newspapers."

    "Hey? Is that so? That's still a pretty good girl." The old principal showed a surprised look, "Let me take a look at her painting, oh, it's still very good, It's almost like Teacher Qin."

    Mr. Qin is the art teacher of their school, so I didn't follow me this spring outing.

    Zhou Huijuan shook her head, "I don't know what level she is, but I think she draws beautifully."

    "It's pretty, I think the kids like it."

    "She came to draw a lot of pictures for the children today, help me thank her on behalf of the children..."

    Jiang Shuangling drew—for a while, she felt a little hungry, so she stood aside, took out the red bean glutinous rice cake she brought from the food box, and slowly ate to satisfy her hunger.

    Several children were lying on the stone bench and drawing seriously.

    The two children, Qi Yue and Jiang Che, could not sit still. They followed the group of children to play eagles and catch chickens. The old principal was called to be an eagle. Xiaohua is the last three in the chicken cub team.

    "Ah ah ah [Grey catch me don't catch me!"

    “…catch the little flowers!”

    …

    The chicken cub team is very long, the "hen" who was protecting the chicken cub team in front was invited over - a small soldier, the children said they wanted to ask their uncle to protect them - the group of small Chicken cubs.

    Although the height of the soldier is about the same, it is tall for the chickens behind him. go.

    The old principal is a very competent eagle.

    You can catch a chicken every once in a while, and it's easy to fill your stomach.

    The captured chickens hugged their chins and muttered to the soldier at the front of the team: "Uncle, you can't protect us well."

    "The chicks are all caught."

    …

    The expression of the "hen" soldier who was caught by the hem of his clothes became more and more loveless.

    The thing he regrets most is probably agreeing to let these little guys come to play eagle and catch chickens.

    Qi Yue and Jiang Che squeezed at the end of the team, these two chickens are very calm and have never been caught.

    Jiang Shuangling ate red bean cakes and watched them play with eagles catching chickens for dinner, she almost laughed until her stomach hurt, and sympathized with the soldiers in front.

    Have dinner, this plot is very good!

    The two chickens in their family don't know when they will be caught.

    Zhou Huijuan walked up to her and asked her curiously, "You also like children, don't you?"

    Jiang Shuangling nodded, "Fortunately, the children are very cute."

    "Yeah, I like children too." Zhou Huijuan smiled - her face was gentle.

    Jiang Shuangling found that many elementary school students like her very much, and it is no wonder that she can pass Luo Hongchun and run for this elementary school teacher.

    "You also graduated from high school, why didn't you sign up to be an elementary school teacher? If you sign up, this teacher may not fall on my head."

    "You humble yourself, I think you are suitable to be this elementary school teacher. For me, two children are fine. With so many little guys together, it will be noisy."

    "Your two children are very smart."

    "Thank you."

    "That...don't you want to find a job as soon as possible?" Zhou Huijuan felt that the woman in front of her was completely different from the other military wives she knew, especially those who competed with her for elementary school teachers, They all desperately hope to have a job and get a salary to subsidize the family.

    "Drawing is my job."

    "Yes." Zhou Huijuan smiled, "What does your man think? Does he agree?"

    "Qi Heng? He said that I can do whatever I want. I recently studied art in the training class of Ronggang No. 1 Factory. He helped me contact this training class."

    "Really, Battalion Commander Qi is such a nice guy, the one from my family has a bad temper and doesn't have much patience. If I say a few more words, he will become impatient, or else Cursing, always speaking in a commanding tone, let me do that..."

    Speaking of her own man, Zhou Huijuan has a grumbling stomach. On weekdays, when they get together as teachers, they talk about their own man and their children, all trivial and trivial. little things.

    In the past, Zhou Huijuan seldom talked about these things, but now she is in the group of teachers, listening to each family pouring troubles every day, or chatting about other people's family affairs. sentence.

    "It's better to talk less and talk less. Battalion Commander Qi is serious, no wonder he can manage the group of soldiers under his command."

    …

    They were chatting about their daily life here, the children over there were tired from playing crazy, and a teacher came to them, "Go to the mountain over there to pick bracken, just on the hillside over there. , I see a lot."

    Jiang Shuangling, Zhou Huijuan, and another teacher, went to the mountain to pick bracken, and when they left, they all brought a large bundle of bracken.

    Going home by bus in the evening, the old principal called Jiang Shuangling aside and gave her two pounds of meat tickets as a thank you for the paintings she gave to the children.

    Jiang Shuangling didn't want it at first, but the old principal forced it to her, "Take it, the children are happy, go back and put these pictures of spring outing in the school."

    "You have worked so hard, you should."

    Jiang Shuangling could only accept it. On the way back by car, she bought two kilograms of meat in Rongcheng. Most of the teachers and children were very tired today. In the end, Jiang Shuangling took the car to the family home. When he fell asleep in the car.

    The two children also fell asleep.

    She took the children back one by one, "What about the grass you prepared for the rabbits, feed the rabbits first today."

    Jiang Shuangling brought her two children and a bundle of bracken and two kilograms of meat back. After returning, she found that Qi Heng came back unexpectedly early today and is now at home.

    "Qi Heng, come pick up the child."

    The two little fellows who were stupefied and hadn't fully woken up, walked to Qi Heng's side and hugged his knees, and fell asleep by knocking their heads on it.

    Qi Heng held one in each of his left and right hands, and was about to take the children to the room. Jiang Shuangling hurriedly stopped him: "Have the hot water been burned? Take the two children to take a bath first."

    Two dirty little guys, I'd better wash them first when I get home.

    "Qi Heng, take the children to take a bath."

    Qi Heng: "Yes..."

    The wife always likes to give him problems.

    He took the two children to the bathroom to take a bath. In the kitchen, Jiang Shuangling only heard the sound of running water coming from the curtain and the murmur of the children.

    "I'm going to wash, I'm going to sleep, Dad."

    "I want to sleep too! Brother-in-law, don't wash."

    Qi Heng: "Time is not enough."

    At this time, these two children are sloppy people who don't like to take a bath.

    "Ahhh

    "Help me

    "Sister save me!"

    …

    Qi Heng ignored them and stuffed the two children into the big bathtub, like plucking ducks, and quickly bathed the two children.

    "Help me, I'm too pregnant.

    Jiang Shuangling washing bracken outside: "…"

    It seems that these two chickens haven't made a show yet. They haven't been caught before, but now they've come back and they've become a piece of fat beside the eagle's beak.

    "Is it helpful to take a bath?"

    Jiang Shuangling said to the curtain: "Qi Heng, if you come out to cook, I will bathe the child."

    Qi Heng eyebrows - pick, "Yes."

    The two children in the bathtub—listen, the whole body was agitated, and they hugged Qi Heng’s arm, and immediately turned into good sons and good brothers.

    "No, I want Dad to help me take a bath."

    "Only men can help me take a bath."

    "Don't wash my sister!"

    …

    Jiang Shuangling couldn't help laughing, she felt that the two children had learned strange things in school, and both of them had begun to have a sense of male and female, "Then you clean up."

    She seems to have found a big killer.

    If the two children are disobedient, let Qi Heng cook.

    I ate fried bracken with bacon, braised pork and radish meatballs at night. The two children enjoyed it very much. Maybe because of the too much physical exertion today, Jiang Shuangling also ate a lot.

    They solved two pounds of meat in one meal.

    After eating, Jiang Shuangling was so tired that she fell on the bed and fell asleep. Qi Heng called her several times, but did not wake her up.

    Qi Heng sat beside the bed, stared at the woman's sleeping face in the dim light at night, said this calmly, and finally left a soft kiss on her forehead.

    —reluctantly struggled early in the morning, Jiang Shuangling felt that her legs and feet were not her own, her back was sore, and she felt uncomfortable everywhere. I rubbed it, wishing I could not get up from the bed all day long.

    Qi Yue and Jiang Che, as if they were nothing, woke up in the morning.

    The two little guys ran a few laps in the yard as usual, happily feeding the rabbits, chatting non-stop.

    "The rabbit's eyes are so red today!"

    "Feed it turnips."

    …

    "The resilience of the children is also very good." Jiang Shuangling had to admire the resilience of the children. Yesterday, she was playing around for a day, and today she seems to be nothing.

    She took the child to the car, and she also took the car to Rongcheng to attend the art training class.

    Jiang Shuangling didn't want to go because she was too tired, but she might be infected by Qi Heng's obsessive-compulsive disorder, and she didn't want to miss an art class, so she went to Rong Gangyi as planned factory.

    This time she stepped on it.

    —When I came, I saw Xue Li circling a sycamore tree, like a stuffy fly, and the men and women of the factories passing by were talking about it.

    "Look what happened to that man?"

    "It's crazy."

    "Should I go to the hospital?"

    "She's been there for a long time..."

    …

    Jiang Shuangling: "?? Xue Li, what's wrong with you?"