The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 339 Homecoming, Becoming a Father

Many people came to see him off.

They brought a lot of things.

The money couldn't be taken out later; the SUV's trunk couldn't hold it all!

The command post does have some spare small trucks; you can't exactly haul a truckload of stuff back to the command post, can you?

At that time, Han Zhaoxin will probably misunderstand that he has switched careers to become a self-employed individual and gone to the countryside to wholesale agricultural and sideline products.

Strictly speaking, doing this is also against disciplinary requirements.

But ordinary people are simple and honest; they know perfectly well who treats them well and who truly cares for them.

So, with their superior numbers, they dragged the money in and wouldn't let us leave; we couldn't leave without accepting their gifts.

Qian Jin realized this wouldn't work; a large crowd had gathered outside the few simple warehouses of the command post.

And there were others arriving later.

The production team cadres came from all directions, some riding jingling bicycles, others driving creaking oxcarts and horse-drawn carts.

There's no other way; all the cars are running on the water transport routes, and there are no vehicles available at the grassroots level to mobilize.

Men, women, young and old arrived, crowding the area in front of the county government early in the morning.

It should be noted that the road in front of the county government building is already wide enough.

It was during working hours, and some county government staff were stuck outside, jumping up and down and shouting:
"Make way, folks, I have to get to work, I'm going to be late..."

Some workers and residents who usually ride bicycles to work stopped to watch when they saw this scene as they passed by on the road.

They thought something big had happened and were all waiting to see what the commotion was about.

The local officials who came didn't just give them a verbal send-off; almost all of them carried gifts.

The fruits that had been painstakingly collected included dried vegetables and salted vegetables that had been dried at home, live chickens and ducks tied up, eggs in bamboo baskets, and Qian Jin even saw someone weaving cricket cages out of wheat straw—which were actually filled with glossy green crickets!
Qian Jin was confused.

He was very moved and grateful.

Moved by the people's sincere devotion, grateful for the people's enthusiasm.

It really caused a delay.

In desperation, he ran to the command post to find Liu Changgui, Zhong Jianxin, and others: "Who exactly called these people? My comrades, what are you trying to do?"

The clerks looked at Liu Changgui, Zhong Jianxin, and several other leaders.

These people were quite embarrassed and tried to explain with awkward smiles:

"I didn't expect the people to be so enthusiastic..."

“It was me who made the call, Commander Qian. I didn’t mean any harm. I just wanted to say that you’ve made so many contributions to our rural areas, and now that you’re leaving, we can’t let you go quietly, otherwise the comrades at the grassroots level will blame us…”

"Mainly, I also considered that you put so much effort into fighting the drought here, and then you left without anyone to see you off. It wouldn't be right—it would be wrong for me, and it would make the people of Anguo County seem ungrateful..."

Qian Jin smiled wryly and said, "You've thought too much and done too much. Now look what's going to happen."

Liu Changgui said timidly, "Why don't we accept all of these things? I've looked at them; they're not expensive, but they represent the most sincere and heartfelt sentiments of the people of Anguo!"

Qian Jin knew they meant well, but this time it was true that a simple act of flattery had resulted in a serious backlash.

He was supposed to leave early this morning, but he can't leave this time.

As for accepting the gifts before leaving?

Certainly not.

That's a serious violation of discipline!

Especially since this place is the county government, his money came in to help the people with drought relief work, but he offended some officials.

If these people secretly report his acceptance of money and valuables from ordinary people to higher-level authorities, the disciplinary department will inevitably have to investigate him, causing him a lot of trouble.

Qian Jin thought for a moment and came up with a terrible idea.

He took Liu Changgui and other leaders of the command post out and stood on the hood of the off-road vehicle, looking around.

Looking at the somewhat familiar faces before him, and seeing the genuine emotions in their eyes and expressions, Qian Jin was deeply moved.

My hard work and effort were worthwhile!
He straightened his back, his gaze slowly sweeping over the crowd. The crowd looked up at him, then quickly fell silent.

"Fellow villagers, comrades, fellow comrades," Qian Jin shouted at the top of his lungs, "I, Qian Jin, have been assigned by the organization to come to Anguo County to fight the drought with you all. Whatever we do, it is what I should do!"

"This is a job assigned to me by the organization, and this is a job that the people need me to do. Seeing that everyone has water to drink now and the crops in the fields have recovered makes me happier than anything else!"

"I'm a hundred times, eight hundred times happier than when you came to see me off or gave me gifts!"

"Ten thousand times!" someone shouted from the crowd.

The crowd burst into laughter.

Qian Jin laughed too, then pointed in the direction of the sound and shouted, "Yes, I'm a million times happier!"

He paused, then said, "As far as I can say, this drought has caused great losses to our farmers, but overall we have barely managed to survive!"

"But what does this rely on? Does it rely on my money? No, it's a million times wrong!"

"We rely on the leadership of the organization, the strength of all the people, and the tenacity of hundreds of thousands of people in Anguo County who are united as one, unafraid of hardship or fatigue, and determined to fight against nature to the end!"

He raised his voice and shouted: "Everyone, remember this: natural disasters are merciless, but the organization is powerful! When the masses have difficulties, the organization will solve them! This is our root, our reliance! As long as we follow the organization, think in the same direction, and work together, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome!"

In this situation, we have to shout slogans.

The power of slogans is immense.

Sure enough, someone in the crowd shouted, "When the people are in trouble, the organization will come to their aid!"

"When the masses are in trouble, the organization will come to their aid!" More and more people joined in the chant.

The sounds were initially somewhat uneven, but they quickly coalesced into a torrent, echoing in the fresh air of the city after the rain, carrying a simple yet powerful sense of conviction.

Qian Jin led the crowd in venting their excited and generous emotions, then changed the subject, saying:

"Now my superiors have summoned me back, and I don't know what I'll be doing. Anyway, I've done a good job, so they're definitely not going back to hold me accountable. Please rest assured, comrades."

"As for the things you brought, my car can't hold them all. How about this, let Commander Liu and the other leaders receive you."

"I'm in a bit of a rush and need to get back to headquarters for a meeting. Could you please make way for my car?"

He jumped out of the car and asked Xiao Sun, "Have you filled up the tank yet?"

Xiao Sun said, "I've added it. I asked someone to get me a bottle of oil, and I've already added it in. It should last until we get to the city."

Qian Jin waved his hand: "Commander Liu, leaders, you are here to receive our comrades and give them a satisfactory result."

"Go quickly!"

Taking advantage of the crowd parting to make way, Xiao Sun quickly started the car and drove off.

The engine roared roughly, and wisps of blue smoke billowed from the exhaust pipe.

The SUV started and slowly drove away.

Qian Jin leaned out of the driver's side window and waved vigorously. People on both sides of the crowd reached out to shake his hand one last time.

Liu Changgui and the others panicked: "Huh? They just left like that?"

"They left the people with us? No, Lao Liu, Lao Zhong, what are we going to do?"

"Oh no, I've shot myself in the foot..."

Zhong Jianxin chased after the jeep, yelling, "Commander Qian, don't go! Commander Qian, tell us what to do! What are we going to do?"

Grassroots officials and members of the public who came to see them off were deeply moved by this sight:
"What makes a good leader? This is a good leader. Look, when Commander Qian wanted to leave, not only were we farmers reluctant to let him go, but even these high-ranking officials in the county were reluctant to let him go..."

"Even the leaders are chasing after the car that Qian directed, are we just going to stand there like idiots? Come on, let's go chase it together!"

"Commander Qian, don't go! Don't go!"

The off-road vehicle gradually accelerated.

Qian Jin leaned out and kept waving his hand towards the back of the car.

Amidst the chasing crowd, there were countless waving arms and countless gazes filled with deep affection.

So touched!
The SUV turned a corner, and Qian Jin could no longer see anyone. Only then did he come back and sit down, and his emotions remained unsettled for a long time.

The off-road vehicle returned directly to the command post.

As soon as Qian Jin entered the office, people kept greeting him.

Upon seeing this, the chief commander's secretary took his briefcase and luggage bag and said, "Deputy Commander Qian, General Manager Han is having a meeting in the conference room on the fourth floor. He said that you should go directly to the meeting when you arrive. Leader Guodong is also there. They may need to hear your work report from the front line."

Qian Jin also has a secretary at the command post, and the work reports have been prepared in advance.

He took the report and hurried upstairs.

Knocking on the office door, I saw the city's core decision-making members seated at either end of a long table:

The second-in-command and drought relief commander-in-chief, Han Zhaoxin, the top leader, Zheng Guodong, the third-in-command, Wang Zhenbang, and several other standing committee members and key leaders of relevant departments.

Upon seeing Qian Jin enter, Zheng Guodong and Han Zhaoxin both stood up simultaneously.

Seeing this, the other leaders had no choice but to stand up immediately.

Wang Zhenbang was the best to him. He pushed back his chair, stepped forward to shake hands with him, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Great job, Xiao Qian. I've heard about your work on the front line. You did a great job!"

Qian Jin hurriedly said, "It's mainly because the leaders have given excellent command."

The leaders looked better.

Qian Jin was truly exhausted, while the leaders had rosy cheeks and were full of energy. It had also rained in the city in autumn, and their brows showed ease, not the anxiety they usually displayed.

After a brief greeting, Han Zhaoxin continued the meeting.

He reported on the meteorological station's monitoring and the rainfall situation, and then asked Qian Jinlai to report on the drought relief efforts and current situation in Anguo County.

As usual, Qian Jin began by thanking the city leaders and the command headquarters leaders.

Zheng Guodong waved his hand while smoking a cigarette and laughed, "Forget it. Is this a report written by your secretary? Haha, the format is fine, but it's not needed right now. You should just report the data."

Qian Jin readily accepted the suggestion and changed his wording:
"Distinguished leaders, under the strong leadership of governments at all levels and the command headquarters, and with the joint efforts of cadres and the masses throughout the county, Anguo County has achieved a major victory in its drought relief and seedling protection efforts."

"A total of 1.428 million mu of basic farmland has been protected in the county and surrounding rural areas, accounting for 77.3% of the total area before the disaster!"

"A total of 686,000 mu of land were replanted with late-autumn crops such as buckwheat, mung beans, sorghum, and millet, as well as vegetables, taking advantage of the soil moisture..."

"...The county mobilized its labor force to construct, dredge, and reinforce a total of 1,276 water transport channels, including both earthen and waterways, with a total length exceeding 1,800 kilometers, covering an irrigated area of ​​1.11 million mu..."

"...Adapting to local conditions, mobilizing the masses, and adopting the strategy of 'tapping deep potential and expanding sources of water,' 845 new shallow wells were drilled and more than 1,200 old wells were repaired..."

"...With the strong support of the provincial and municipal command centers and the technical guidance of Soviet and Russian experts, 27 deep wells over 100 meters deep were successfully drilled! The daily water output of each well is over 1,000 cubic meters, effectively solving the drinking water difficulties for nearly 200,000 people and livestock in 31 severely affected communes and 92 production brigades..."

"...We actively promoted simplified drip irrigation and seepage irrigation technologies, covering 56,000 mu of experimental fields and key seedling protection fields, achieving significant water-saving and moisture-retention effects..."

The dry, monotonous numbers, at this moment, were like lively musical notes, making the leaders beam with joy.

No matter how beautiful the music is, it can't compare to Qian Jin's voice when he's reporting on his work.

The autumn harvest in Anguo County has been saved!

Only Qian Jin's voice could be heard in the office. The leaders listened intently. The head of the agricultural department wanted to ask a question, but Zheng Guodong silenced him with a look.

Han Zhaoxin nodded from time to time, his face showing approval and satisfaction throughout.

He was clearly very happy.

When Qian Jin finished his report, Wang Zhenbang took the lead in applauding and even stood up to applaud, prompting the other leaders to follow suit.

Zheng Guodong, as the top leader, spoke first: "Excellent, Comrade Qian Jin, the work in Anguo County is solid and the results are remarkable!"

He then addressed the others, pointing at Qian Jin and declaring, "Comrade Qian Jin has made a great contribution this time!"

Everyone said, "Yes, you've done a great service, a really great service."

Qian Jin is now very adept at navigating the bureaucratic game; he immediately raised his head and puffed out his chest, saying:

"Anguo County's achievement in the face of severe challenges is inseparable from the organization of the municipal government, and even more so from the leadership of capable helmsmen like Guo Dong and General Manager Han..."

"No, it's because we can't do without grassroots commanders like you who go deep into the front lines, dare to take responsibility, and are good at getting things done!" Han Zhaoxin spoke the truth.

He was very satisfied with his subordinates' performance and smiled broadly: "Xiao Qian, Comrade Guodong and I were right about you. You've managed to crack this tough nut of Anguo County."

"Anguo County has set a good example for the city's drought relief efforts. You've turned the tide beautifully over there! You've truly made a great contribution!"

"Comrade Guodong was just advocating that we should recommend you to the nation for commendation. You definitely deserve the top credit for the drought relief efforts in Haibin City..."

Other leaders followed suit, expressing their appreciation and condolences by focusing on the praise given to the top two leaders.

Qian Jin was flattered: "Leader Guodong, General Manager Han, Director Wang, this is really what I should do. I won't push credit away or be overly modest. I do have some credit, more or less."

"But I dare not claim the credit first..."

Han Zhaoxin pressed down his waving arm: "Alright, the organization has already decided, you deserve the credit!"

“You know my temper, Comrade Guodong. We believe in being realistic when we do our work. If you don’t perform well, I don’t care who’s behind you. I’ll throw my hat down, slam my fist on the table, and curse.”

"But you did a good job, you did an outstanding job, so no one can stop me from recommending you for commendation!"

Qian Jin was indeed very grateful for the two leaders' keen insight and fairness, and the two leaders did not only want to exploit him.

The meeting continues.

After the meeting, Zheng Guodong waved his hand and said, "That's the situation. We've already discussed everything."

"Old Han, President Han, I need to ask you for a favor as your old comrade-in-arms. I need to help Xiao Qian get leave. He's been working hard lately, and his family has been working hard too."

"Especially since his wife is heavily pregnant, he hasn't been able to come home..."

"Wait a minute." Qian Jin's heart skipped a beat.

Ignoring the fact that he was about to become the top leader, he asked in astonishment, "His wife? My wife? Leader Guodong, my wife is... pregnant? How did you know?"

Zheng Guodong laughed and said, "Comrade Guodong, Comrade Zhenbang, and I visited your family at the end of last month to offer our condolences. Your sister-in-law—was her name Ma Hongxia?"

"Yes……"

“Yes, that’s what Comrade Ma Hongxia reported to us.” Zheng Guodong said, then looked at him with surprise, “You didn’t know?”

Qian Jin said, "I don't know! I haven't been home for almost two months, but I call almost every day to let them know I'm safe. Nobody told me about this!"

Zheng Guodong and the others could tell that he was telling the truth and was not pretending to show his awareness.

These high-ranking leaders naturally spoke highly of him.

Han Zhaoxin patted him on the shoulder and said, "You haven't been home for so long! You didn't even know your wife was pregnant..."

Qian Jin suddenly realized: "I told her I would ask her to come to the county to see me, but she kept saying that she was busy with drought relief work in the town and at her school and couldn't leave. It turns out she was worried about me knowing she was pregnant!"

"The organization will give you a leave of absence. Take a few days to rest and spend some time with your family!" Han Zhaoxin said immediately.

Now, even if we wanted to keep him, we couldn't.

In Qian Jin's heart, his wife and children were very important. He left the meeting room without even taking his luggage, and hurriedly rode his motorcycle, which was parked in the shed, to Taishan Road.

Wei Qinghuan didn't lie on the phone; Taishan Road had organized many drought relief activities in recent days.

The drought relief publicity campaign was carried out in a particularly vigorous manner, with bulletin boards covered with drought relief posters and banners placed every few steps between the sycamore trees.

Today, a performance showcasing drought relief efforts was organized on the streets by young men and women. As Qian Jin's motorcycle passed by, many people greeted him with delight.

He gave a perfunctory reply, and the motorcycle roared back to the front of the Western-style building.

A group of children were chasing after them:
"Uncle, wait for me! My Tangyuan is here..."

"Uncle, don't run away, let me ride the motorcycle..."

"Hey, Fourth Uncle, you're so heartless! You just ran away without even looking back! What were you afraid of...?"

Qian Jin rushed upstairs and pushed open the door.

Yellow Hammer pounced on him immediately, wagging its thick, fluffy tail, probably wanting a hug.

Qian Jin caught it and casually tossed it outside the door. He glanced around the living room; no one was there.

Hearing the door open, Ma Hongxia came out and exclaimed with delight upon seeing him, "Fourth brother, you're back! Oh my goodness, you've finally decided to come home for a visit!"

Qian Jin laughed and said, "I can't help it, the drought in the countryside is terrible..."

“We know, we all know. We watch the news every night, and we see you on it all the time,” Ma Hongxia said with a smile.

"Besides, I'm a native of the Loess Plateau, how could I not know how terrible a drought is?" The city established the Haibin City Radio and Television Station ten years ago, and this year it also established the Radio and Television Bureau, implementing a unified management system for the bureau and station.

Then, the main focus of the TV station this year is drought relief, and the station has established a daily reporting program on drought relief work.

Qian Jin gives interviews from time to time, after all, Anguo County is on the front line and in the most difficult place for drought relief work.

He is now extremely famous throughout the city.

The command sent him to take charge of the work in Anguo County as a test, an important task, and also to train him and give him many opportunities to shine.

Qian Jin didn't care about any of that. He asked, "Where's Teacher Wei? Isn't she home?"

Ma Hongxia laughed and said, "Isn't there an event on the street? The kids are all running around doing something. I'm going to cook, and Teacher Wei will help me watch the kids."

Qian Jin instinctively started to walk out: "Hey, she's pregnant, why are you making her go see the baby?"

He turned back and asked, "Teacher Wei is pregnant, why didn't anyone tell me?"

Ma Hongxia said helplessly, "You've been so busy on the front lines of drought relief that you haven't had a moment to rest. Teacher Wei gave you a strict order not to tell you about this. If anyone dares to say it, she'll disown you as a relative."

"She doesn't let us tell the kids because she's afraid they'll let you know."

There's something else she didn't say.

What does being pregnant have to do with taking care of a baby?
It's not like we're going to do any physical labor; we're just taking the kids to see a cultural performance organized by the neighborhood. What's wrong with that?
As Qian Jin went downstairs, the Chen brothers, Aiguo and Jianguo, had already come into his view:

"I'm a speedster..."

"Behold my little whirlwind..."

Qian Jin called out to the two of them, then asked, "Where is your aunt?"

Chen Jianguo grinned: "Don't worry, Uncle. My brothers and I are protecting Aunt very well. She's walking slowly behind us. Don't worry, all of us brothers know she's pregnant, and we've been protecting her very well."

Chen Aiguo laughed, "I called out to you earlier, but you just kept your head down and rode your motorcycle forward without turning back even once. I called out to you, and your aunt is right here."

Qian Jin stepped forward and flicked each of the two brothers on the forehead: "Hey, you guys know your aunt is pregnant too?"

The eldest brother, Chen Jianguo, said smugly, "My aunt and my mother wanted to keep it from my brothers, but which of my brothers isn't clever?"

“My aunt used to vomit all the time, before and after meals. She wouldn’t let Huang Chui near her, and she wouldn’t let him poke her. I knew from that she must be pregnant, because my mom was like that when she was pregnant with my second child.”

Chen Aiguo shouted at him, "You know all about it now?"

“I just knew it.” Chen Jianguo went up and knocked his younger brother to the ground.

He added, "I also know that my aunt is definitely pregnant with twins—no, a boy and a girl!"

Qian Jin was overjoyed and asked in surprise, "She went to the hospital for an ultrasound?"

"B is an insult, my mom forbids me from saying it, why are you saying it, Uncle?" Chen Aiguo asked, looking up at him with a silly expression.

Qian Jin ignored this idiot and looked at Chen Jianguo.

As expected, Chen Jianguo was indeed a big jerk: "What the hell? What are you saying, Uncle? That word is an insult, you can't say it!"

Qian Jin was too lazy to argue with them and asked directly, "How do you know she's pregnant with twins?"

Chen Jianguo spread his hands like an adult and said, "Sour for a boy, spicy for a girl, my mom always says that, and then my aunt likes to eat sour and spicy food, it must be..."

"Stop talking!" Qian Jin stopped him.

What a waste of time!
So these kids are into superstition.

The dark-skinned glutinous rice ball and its sisters ran back happily, waving vigorously at Qian Jin: "Uncle, you're finally back!"

The children have changed a lot in the two months since I last saw them.

While there have been some changes in height, weight, and build, the most significant change has been in skin color.

The glutinous rice balls turned into black sesame balls.

However, after losing weight, the little girl's facial features began to resemble Wei Qinghuan's.

Beautiful.

Qian Tu was now a young man and had matured. He led his younger brother and walked behind Wei Qinghuan.

When Qian Jin and Wei Qinghuan met again, he went up to her, hugged her, and then held her hand, looking at her with tears in his eyes.
"You know, I've only been away from home for two months and I'm back to be a dad. This is truly a happy surprise, haha."

Wei Qinghuan straightened his collar and smiled, "I'm not a baby yet. I've only just started to feel the baby move a little..."

Tangyuan leaned closer and asked him, "Uncle, why are you so dark-skinned? You look like an African."

Qian Jin laughed and said, "You even know about African blacks? Then do you know that you're as black as your uncle?"

The children all got tanned.

But Tangyuan's skin used to be too fair, and now that it's dark, it's especially noticeable.

The two Chen brothers haven't changed much; they've always been like donkey dung.

The main theme is a thorough black.

The group chatted happily as they headed home.

"They're all back!" Ma Hongxia had washed the fruit; it was a large plate of grapes.

The children immediately surrounded it.

Ma Hongxia slapped them aside: "Go away, this is for your uncle, younger uncle, and younger brother to wash."

"Washing for three people?" Chen Jianguo asked in surprise.

Chen Aiguo mocked him: "How can you be so stupid? Your aunt is talking about the same person..."

"You think you understand? You understand your second uncle." Chen Jianguo knocked his younger brother down again. "I was just joking. Adults are joking, so kids shouldn't interrupt. You don't understand anyway."

Ma Hongxia herded the two brothers like sheep: "Oh my two little devils, stop making a fuss. Your aunt can't stand any noise right now."

Wei Qinghuan sat down to eat grapes and said with a smile, "I'm used to it. Here, Deputy Commander Qian, have some grapes."

Qian Jin ate a grape and nodded: "It's really sweet. Are there still these in the market?"

“They deliver vegetables and fruits from Xiping Mountain almost every day. Our family eats all the food they deliver. They even delivered spring water before, but I refused because it would be a waste of money and manpower to have the water delivered from the mountains,” Wei Qinghuan explained.

Ma Hongxia further explained: "Our street's task force is still working in Xiping. Basically, people come back to visit their relatives every day. The team members take turns going back to the city to visit their relatives, and every time someone comes back, they bring something to our home."

There was a knock on the door.

Qian Tu quickly went up to open the door.

The person who came in was a familiar face, Han Zhaoxin's secretary: "Deputy Commander Qian, General Manager Han specially approved a note to send some seafood and meat to your home."

As soon as he finished speaking, two young men carried bamboo baskets and bags into the room.

Qian Jin thanked him.

Fresh pork, freshly slaughtered chicken, and a basket of various seafood, the most eye-catching of which were large crabs.

A giant swimming crab, about the size of two palms!

A group of children immediately surrounded them.

After Han Zhaoxin's secretary delivered the items, he left. Qian Jin went downstairs to see him off, and before he even entered the room, he heard Chen Jianguo crying.

Chaos erupted as soon as we entered.

Yellow Hammer was indeed jumping, leaping towards a crab waving its large pincers.

It went up to bite several times but didn't dare to actually bite.

This wild swimming crab has a strong defense and reacts quickly. Its two big pincers are always pointing at the yellow crab. If it dares to bite, it will strike and cut its lips!
This is not an exaggeration.

Wild giant swimming crabs have particularly powerful claws.

Chen Jianguo was crying because his arm was clamped. After Wei Qinghuan knocked the clamp off, she saw two bruises on his arm, one above the other, through the sleeve!

Qian Jin asked what happened.

Ma Hongxia said angrily, "A bunch of brats!"

"Before I knew it, they took out the crabs to fight, but after I untied the ropes from the crabs, the crabs started fighting them first!"

Qian Tu exclaimed, "Even crabs know the principle of forming a united front to defend against foreign enemies."

Qian Jin could only clean up the mess.

He told Qian Tu to watch the children and chased the group of kids out: "Stop making a scene at home, go find the four Liu brothers. Why don't you hang out with them anymore?"

"They went back to their hometown with their parents to help with the drought relief efforts," Tangyuan explained.

Qian Jin suddenly understood.

It's truly a nationwide effort to combat the drought.

He kicked the children out, and the house finally became quiet.

Back in the bedroom, he looked at Wei Qinghuan's waistline. She was somewhat plump, with a ring of fat around her lower abdomen, though her belly wasn't very noticeable yet.

Qian Jin exclaimed with emotion, "Wow, I never thought I was going to be a father. I still feel like a baby myself."

"Don't you feel like you're still drinking milk?" Wei Qinghuan teased him, then paused, noticing his gaze, "Wait, you're not really going to drink it, are you?"

What can Qian Jin do?
He loves his wife very much.

When they came out again, it was almost noon. Qian Xi and Qian Cheng went home one after the other after get off work.

The two siblings were overjoyed to learn that Qian Jin had returned. Qian Cheng asked for the motorcycle keys, saying he was going to go to the Hongxing Breeding Farm to call Qian Lie back.

Qian Xi called her husband, and by lunchtime, the whole family had gathered together.

The round table in the living room was now completely filled.

Qian Jin glanced at it and then noticed that the table had been changed: "Wow, such a big round table?"

“It was the carpentry team from the commando unit that made it at our house,” Qian Xi said with a smile. “Your brother-in-law was chatting with them, and they learned that there are many people in our family and the table is small, so they insisted on having a set made.”

The furniture has changed quite a bit.

Not only did we get an extra set of tables and chairs, but we also got some extra cabinets.

At this moment, the dining table takes center stage.

The table was laden with seafood, and a rich, savory aroma dominated the entire dining room and living room.

In the center of the table was an enamel basin piled with more than a dozen large swimming crabs, steamed until they were bright red and translucent.

This enamel basin was twice the size of a washbasin, but it still couldn't hold all these swimming crabs. Han Zhaoxin had sent Qian Jin all sorts of high-quality goods.

Each swimming crab was the same size, with shiny shells and thick claws. Qian Jin called the younger ones to the table, and each of them was given a large crab to slowly gnaw on.

The most abundant item was the large prawns; in addition to a plate of boiled prawns, Ma Hongxia also prepared a large plate of braised prawns in oil.

Like the giant swimming crabs, these prawns are enormous, each one curved into a beautiful bow shape, coated in a thick, glossy sauce and sprinkled with bright green scallions, making them incredibly tempting at first glance.

Other seafood dishes, such as fried yellow croaker, abalone with hot oil, and blanched sea snails, each have their own unique characteristics.

Ma Hongxia served two fish last: a steamed grouper and a large yellow croaker with hot oil.

She said, "Your leaders are so kind. They even gave me several kilograms of sea cucumbers. I'll clean them and dry them, and then I'll cook them in Teacher Wei's porridge in the morning to make sea cucumber millet porridge. I heard from people in the neighborhood that this is the most nutritious."

Thanks to the advanced internet, Qian Jin has some basic knowledge about childbirth:

"There's no need for so much nutrition, otherwise you'll easily get a big baby, and childbirth will be difficult, and you might even have to have a C-section."

This was beyond the comprehension of others. Qian Cheng, completely bewildered, said, "Everyone likes to have older children, why don't you want a fourth one yet?"

The women all understood the reasoning behind it.

Ma Hongxia said, "How easy is it to give birth to a big child?"

Qian Jin invited everyone to eat: "Come on, let's eat. I'll take care of Teacher Wei's meals from now on."

Qian Xi was touched by her younger brother's tenderness towards his wife and patted Chen Shoujiang on the shoulder, saying, "Learn from my brother!"

Chen Shoujiang, who was pouring wine, was taken aback: "You're going to have another baby? Okay, then I'll learn from him how to take care of pregnant women and how to take care of women during their postpartum period."

Qian Xi rolled her eyes in exasperation: "I'm telling you to learn how good he is to his wife."

Chen Shoujiang handed her the wine glass with a grin: "Alright, alright, wife, you drink first..."

Qian Xi sighed.

The crops grown by Old Qian's family are still the best.

Qian Jin divided the two fish into two portions.

Ma Hongxia's cooking skills have improved rapidly; she can now cook seafood quite well.

Take steamed grouper as an example.

The fish head and body are intact, and the belly is gently turned inside out to reveal the snow-white and tender fish meat, which is covered with fine shredded ginger and scallion segments, and drizzled with hot, clear soy sauce, making it very fragrant.

This time, they also gave us various clams, a specialty of Haibin City. They stir-fried flower clams with chili, and made a soup with hard clams and tofu.

The soup is milky white, with bright green scallion and cilantro chopped on the surface.

A spoonful reveals plump clams that have expelled all the sand and tender braised tofu in the soup.

Qian Jin was in high spirits; today he could finally unleash his killing spree.

During his time in Anguo County, although he would secretly eat things like sausages or canned meat in private, they were all pre-cooked.

This stuff tastes great, but eating it every day is not as good as eating steamed buns with pickled vegetables.

Unfortunately, conditions in the countryside were poor, so he ate cornbread with pickled vegetables.

Corn cakes were already considered a delicacy, but farmers couldn't bear to eat them, so they exchanged them for cheaper sorghum to fill their stomachs.

Over this period of time, he felt that his throat had been through countless battles, and now deep throating was a piece of cake.

Qian Jin sat down, and soon a pile of peeled crab meat and shrimp appeared in front of him.

Wei Qinghuan felt sorry for her husband, and Qian Xi felt sorry for her younger brother. One peeled crabs for him, and the other peeled shrimp for him.

Qian Jin gestured for the two to eat their own food, but Wei Qinghuan shook her head: "Crabs are considered 'cold' in traditional Chinese medicine, and I can't eat them because I'm pregnant."

Qian Jincai didn't believe it: "Just avoid eating the crab roe and crab paste. Eat some crab meat with ginger juice. It's high in protein, so it's fine."

He picked up his chopsticks, took a large piece of crab meat dipped in ginger and vinegar sauce, and fed it to Wei Qinghuan, then took a bite himself.

It's the perfect time to eat crabs now.

Han Zhaoxin sent him only carefully selected high-quality swimming crabs, with plump crab roe on the top shell, about the size of a child's palm, orange-red in color, and bulging.

He took a bite of the crab roe.

It's incredibly fresh and delicious, far superior to any pre-cooked food.

Another bite of crab meat—the plump, tender chunks of meat are savory and delicious, with a firm and chewy texture. It's so satisfying!

The hard times are finally over!
Qian Cheng raised his glass to him: "Come on, fourth brother, you've worked hard these days, let me toast you! Cheers!"

The beer was ice-cold, with the aroma of malt and a slight bitterness. The moment it entered my mouth, it diluted the fishy smell of the seafood, bringing a unique refreshing and pleasant sensation.

"Try this braised prawn," Ma Hongxia said, finding Qian Jin the biggest prawn she could find. "Let's see if your cooking has improved in the last two months."

Qian Jin took a bite and gave her a thumbs up: "Great job, sister-in-law, your cooking is amazing. When our restaurant opens, we'll invite you to be the head chef."

Ma Hongxia laughed and said, "Forget it, they would never ask me to work as a handyman for the head chef, because they all think I'm clumsy."

Qian Jin said, "That's impossible. Besides, I'm serious, sister-in-law."

"The commando team will be opening a restaurant when they get back. You can go and teach them a few Northwest dishes. Our restaurant needs to have some signature dishes."

Ma Hongxia was stunned: "Huh? You're serious?"

Qian Jin said, "Extremely serious."

“We’ll talk about the rest later,” Qian Cheng said, filling his younger brother’s glass with wine. “I went to the countryside twice for drought relief work, each time for ten days. I was so tired that my back ached, and it took me several days to recover after all that.”

"Fourth brother, you've really suffered this time."

Qian Jin waved his hand: "I'm fine, it's the farmers who are really suffering."

The group chatted over their meal about drought relief efforts in the countryside.

(End of this chapter)