The newlywed wife came to the team
Li Yinglin
Forty years ago, on the second day of the first lunar month, I was stationed at the family home and invited everyone to dinner.
In early June 1981, I got married in Xi'an, and after the August Festival, I rushed to Chengdu and waited for twenty days before returning to the station by military aviation into Tibet.
The author's military uniform photo
In late November of that year, in accordance with the requirements of the cadres of the organs to replace the company, I was sent to the upcoming recruit company as the second platoon commander. After a week of training and study, several of our squad leaders went to the garrison of the recruit company located under the mountain corner on the east side of the radar mountain to make preliminary preparations. Two days later, the recruit company led by company commander Bai Tai and instructor Liu Cangdi drove to the garrison against the wind and sand. After the company started training, I had to learn to lead the soldiers and shoulder the responsibility of military doctors, and the work was fresh, serious and intense. About twenty days later, the clerk handed me a telegram, which read: The lover has arrived at the remaining place in Phoenix Mountain, waiting for the military to enter Tibet to visit relatives. After seeing the telegram, I was a little excited and a little worried, she was not familiar with life, was the road to visit relatives smooth? What should I do if I experience altitude sickness? Thinking about it again, the safety factor of entering Tibet by military voyage is not sure how many times stronger than that of the land route, and besides, the comrades-in-arms who are traveling with them will definitely help. Thinking like this, my heart is much calmer. When the company commander and instructor knew, they asked me to use Sunday to go back and prepare.
At this time, the station has long bid farewell to the era of sheds, bluestone bottoms, adobe walls, galvanized iron roofs of simple barracks are also row after row, but also has three bungalows composed of family homes for military families and temporary family visits. I went to the barracks assistant to explain the situation, and he immediately led me to choose the house and handed me two keys.
Each family home is two rooms, suites, about 20 square meters. The inner room is a bedroom, with a double bed, a folding table and a folding chair, a partition in the outer room, and a kitchen on the inside, with a stove for burning wood. The conditions are rudimentary, but they already feel like home. Within a few days, with the help of leaders and comrades-in-arms, the guys who lived a small life at home were also gathered. Just waiting for the arrival of the lover.
During this period, the training of recruits was carried out in an orderly manner, queue training, regulation study, revolutionary traditional education, marching training, many emergency gatherings at night, shooting training, etc.
It's been more than twenty days since I received the telegrams, and it's been several days since New Year's Day in 1982, and I still haven't waited for my lover's arrival. Just two days before the new company was about to shoot live ammunition, the company informed me that the station had received a call from Gongga, saying that quartermaster Liu Zhouliang, the commander of the automobile company, Miao Suozhu, and my family had come down from the military aviation and returned to the station by Beijing Jeep along the southern line. Let me go back to the station immediately to meet me, the platoon work has been arranged.
At five or six o'clock in the afternoon, a Beijing Jeep servant drove in from the south gate and stopped in the square in front of the auditorium, and Assistant Liu, Miao Lianchang, and I picked up their respective families. What impressed me was that Assistant Liu's family was seriously motion sickness, so I went up and counted the pulses, briefly inquired about the relevant situation, ruled out serious altitude sickness, and instructed Assistant Liu to pay attention to observation and report the situation to the health team in time.
I accompanied my lover home to the hospital, she did not have any altitude sickness, but said that she was groggy along the way, and she could not see what the situation was along the way. The car went to the shigatse department store to rest in front of the door. A few of them went around the department store, only to feel that there were more Tibetan compatriots and the goods were not as rich as in the mainland.
My lover was carrying a gray faux leather travel bag printed with the motif of the Great Hall of the People, and the bulging sac was heavy. She said she brought me two bottles of Xifeng wine and two bottles of Danfeng wine. That was the standard for Shaanxi soldiers to return from the interior.
Within a few days, my lover gradually became accustomed to the sound of military trumpets and became acquainted with his neighbors. Learned to use a pressure cooker. She is a young man in the countryside, and it is difficult for her to carry water and chop wood to cook. At that time, there were more than a dozen people living in the family home, including Li Gensheng, Xu Jinhong, Liu Jun, Luo Huijun, Xiong Dingchang, and Kelsang. Captain Li Gensheng's daughter Li Huizhen, when she was about 6 years old, I went to work, she ran over to chat with my lover every day, which was very interesting.
The Spring Festival is coming soon, and I would like to invite the health team and other comrades-in-arms to dinner at home during the Spring Festival. This was a big deal at the time, what to eat? Can't it be all canned, pickled, waxed products, right? After I had this idea, I consulted with Dr. Hua Zuming.
Dr. Hua everyone understands, in a word, is a tall person, a clever person. On weekdays, when we talk about buying vegetables and cooking during vacations, we listen to them with relish. What a half two votes, five cents of chives, how to beat meat filling, omelette horn, thick oil red sauce, etc. It gives us a certain perception of the daily life in Shanghai.
Dr. Hua happily accepted the chef's invitation. He told me that I must find a way to get fresh green vegetables, fresh tofu, and then sauce a piece of pork. The dinner time is set at noon on the second day of the Chinese New Year.
With Dr. Hua as the main heart, I am at ease. I contacted the power plant equipment engineer Joe Yongli, who said he was responsible for the leafy greens. The logistics leader assigned Chen Qiang, a small soldier in Guiyang, a cook, to be responsible for grinding tofu, and other comrades-in-arms, who all expressed strong support.
Grinding tofu, there is a certain process. I remember Xiong Lili, Assistant Luo, Technician Yang Guangxiao or Assistant Wu Dagui who somehow brought a bottle of hand-pushed small stone mills of ground soybeans from Sichuan, and turned around in small units at the station to contribute to the grinding of soybean milk and tofu for comrades-in-arms. This became a good story at the time. Before the Spring Festival, the small stone mill turned back to the family home, the left and right neighbors came together, grinding beans, filtering soy milk, boiling soy milk, Xiao Chen Qiang will forge the roasted raw plaster into a powder and make a thick gypsum liquid for tofu. Everyone worked together to make tender tofu and old tofu that were quite good. Under the guidance of Dr. Hua, the sauce meat has also been marinated and marinated. Xiao Chen Qiang and I transported a large bundle of firewood on the logistics stove and cut it into a small firewood suitable for the small stove. He also said hello to Li Gensheng, Xu Jinhong, and Kelsang, and when the time came, the small table was small
And tableware and other support for me. He also informed the comrades-in-arms of the health team and other comrades-in-arms to come to dinner at noon.
Spring Festival arrived, Chinese New Year's EveChinese New Year's Eve meal I as usual in the big stove with the comrades without combat readiness task of the lively, the wine as usual is about 2 yuan a bottle of Jiangjin liquor, although the wine is spicy and spicy, it is a real grain wine. After the bustle, I rushed home to accompany my wife for Chinese New Year's Eve more meal. After the lights went out, Qiao Yongli brought a bunch of fresh spinach. It's definitely a rarity, and it's not convenient for me to ask for the source at this point.
On the morning of the first day of the first year, Dr. Hua came, arranged the recipes, and fried and fried them. My wife gave a hand, I was in and out and didn't know what to call.
After the second breakfast of the first year, Dr. Hua came, and after a while, the cutting board was banging, the stove was red and squeaky, and Chef Hua in Shanghai was on the stove.
My task was to bring the small dinner table, trays and bowls of Li Gensheng, Xu Jinhong, and Kelsang's family to my house, boiling water and tea leaves, and everything was ready, and I waited for the arrival of my comrades-in-arms.
Less than twelve o'clock, Captain Xia Fawei led Dr. Yang Min and other comrades in the health team to arrive, and then my old comrades who joined the army in the same year also arrived. I forgot who it was, as soon as I entered the door, I said to Dr. Hua in a rough voice, "Dr. Hua has worked hard, and I want to try the shanghai chef's craft this time", which caused a full hall of congratulations and applause.
Captain Li Gensheng and I kept pouring tea and water for our comrades-in-arms, and there were sunflower walnuts brought from Shaanxi, and everyone talked and laughed continuously.
There were three small dining tables, how many people were seated, how many people were standing, and I can't remember it now.
Two bottles of Xifeng wine and two bottles of Danfeng wine were opened and poured. The dish began, the cold dish as usual is sausage, peeled egg, spiced dried tofu (canned), sugar water boro (canned) I simply opened the white, mainly to express gratitude to the comrades-in-arms for their concern for our husband and wife, wish the comrades-in-arms good health, happy Spring Festival auspicious words. As the old rule goes, I take the lead, and my comrades-in-arms take a drink from their glasses. At this time, the sauce pork came up, everyone cheered, and the plate was swept away! When the second glass of wine is full, a large plate of chinese cabbage fans comes up, which causes even more cheers! Because they saw the long-lost green again! The wine in the middle of the river is once again drunk! Then the Shanghai-style braised pork, bamboo shoot roast meat, and white-seared tofu came up, and as usual, they were swept away. After three rounds of wine, the kind of square, sweet, salty and salty tofu came up, I took the lead in eating a bite, the meat was full of flavor, delicious! Everyone still ate to the bottom, and I still don't know what the name of the dish is!
The dinner was over, there was not enough wine to drink, and the Shanghainese dishes made on the spot did not eat enough, but the comrades-in-arms all tasted the Shanghainese dishes and relished it.
Forty years have passed since this incident, and I remember it fondly. Today, I would like to thank Dr. Hua in Shanghai and all the comrades who participated in the dinner.
The author presents a group photo with his beloved wife
About the Author:
Li Yinglin: Born in 1954, a native of Kaiyuan, Liaoning, he enlisted in the army from Qishan, Shaanxi Province, to serve at The Xigaze Field Station at the end of 1972, and successively served as a health student, assistant military doctor, and military doctor. In 1987, he transferred to the health system of Xi'an Railway Bureau and served as a medical officer and vice president until his retirement.
Author: Li Yinglin