Chapter 130 Envy of Others
A young soldier named Xiao Wang couldn't help but interrupt, "Yes, Brother Li. With these recipes, we won't have to worry about our lives after retirement. We can also set up a stall to support our families!"
"I used to envy those who made a living by their craft. I never thought that I would be able to learn a craft one day in my life. Hehe, it's incredible just to think about it!"
Now that you have a skill, it's almost like having a stable job for life.
It’s worth it, this group of people really came at the right time!
Xiao Wang's words resonated with the surrounding veterans, who echoed his words and expressed their expectations for the future. For a moment, the tent was filled with an atmosphere of joy and hope.
At this time, an elderly general came over, looked at everyone with deep eyes, and said:
"Dear soldiers, the exchange channel has been set up. You can go to the logistics department to exchange the formula you want in a while. You can make the most suitable choice according to the specific situation. There are thousands of formulas, and there is always one that suits you!
Don't be anxious, choose patiently! After all, this is related to your livelihood for the rest of your life.
As for the formulas and other things, you still have to keep them properly. You can take them home and start your own business, or bring a village or a clan to do business. The military camp will not interfere, and it will not really determine who is responsible in the end!
But if it really becomes a disaster, it will be your own interests that will suffer. That’s all I have to say. You can all make your own choices when the time comes!"
Everyone responded in unison, their voices excited: "Yes!"
In the following days, the soldiers trained harder, because they knew that only by making great military achievements could they gain more benefits for their families.
And those veterans who are about to retire are carefully learning how to make various recipes to prepare for their future life.
……
The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on the bluestone slabs of the town. Veteran Li Tiezhu dragged his heavy steps, carrying his luggage, and walked into his long-lost hometown.
His face was full of frost, but his eyes were shining with determination. His return did not cause much sensation, after all, he had been away for so long, so long that no one would mention him except his family.
Li Tiezhu's home is located in a corner of the town. The dilapidated hut looks particularly desolate in the sunset. He pushed open the half-open door and saw his wife busy cooking dinner with his son helping her.
"Dad, you're back!" His son Li Xiaoniu ran over excitedly and hugged Li Tiezhu's legs. Li Tiezhu squatted down and stroked his son's head lovingly, with a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
"Zhu Zi, you're finally back." His wife Wang poked her head out from the kitchen, with a look of joy and worry on her face.
As he was talking, Aunt Zhang from next door came over with a look of disdain on her face and said in a sarcastic tone, "Hey, isn't this Li Tiezhu? Why are you back? Can't make it in the military camp anymore?"
Li Tiezhu frowned, but did not get angry. He just said calmly: "Second Aunt, I came back to retire from the army, not like what you said."
"Retired? Haha, you were really sent back? You've been a soldier for so many years, but you didn't even get a position. You're coming back in disgrace?"
Aunt Zhang looked at Li Tiezhu's fluttering clothes and covered her nose. What's that smell? How long has it been since this man washed his clothes? Look at how dirty they are. They must have been pickled!
Seeing that Li Tiezhu was not angry, Aunt Zhang became even more proud. With a hint of sarcasm on her lips, she continued, "Li Tiezhu, your clothes are probably older than an old woman like me, right? Didn't the military camp give you new clothes?"
Hearing this, Li Tiezhu glanced at her, but he did not respond. He just turned to Wang and said, "Madam, can you get me some water? I want to wash myself."
Wang nodded, put down her work immediately, and went to the well to fetch water. Aunt Zhang saw this and curled her lips, thinking that Li Tiezhu was really good at pretending.
After a while, Wang came back with a full bucket of water. Li Tiezhu took the bucket and placed it in the yard. He opened his backpack, took out an exquisite wooden box, opened the lid, and found blocks of milky white soap inside.
He picked up a piece of soap and said to Aunt Zhang, "Aunt Zhang, look at what this is?"
Aunt Zhang came forward curiously and saw that the soap was emitting a faint fragrance. She frowned and asked in confusion: "What is this? Why haven't I seen it before?"
Li Tiezhu smiled and said, "This is soap, used for washing clothes. Please wait a moment, I will show you its effect."
As he spoke, he took off his coat, smeared soap on it, and began to scrub vigorously. After a while, the clothes that were originally covered with dust and oil became clean and tidy, and even the unpleasant smell disappeared without a trace.
Aunt Zhang was stunned. She reached out and touched the clothes. It was smooth as new. She couldn't help but exclaimed: "Oh, this soap is really a good thing! Li Tiezhu, where did you get it from?"
Li Tiezhu smiled proudly and said, "This is the skill I learned in the military camp. From now on, our family will make money by making soap."
Aunt Zhang's eyes flashed with envy and jealousy when she heard this, but she refused to give in and said, "Humph, even if you can make soap, you may not be able to sell it. People in this town are used to using soap nuts."
Li Tiezhu didn't take it seriously and said, "Second Aunt, you can't say that. This soap is much better than soap nuts, and it's not expensive. Once you try it, you will definitely like it."
At this time, Li Xiaoniu also ran over, looked at the soap in his father's hand curiously, and asked: "Dad, what is this? It smells so good!"
Li Tiezhu squatted down, stroked his son's head, and said, "Xiao Niu, this is soap. Our family will make money from it in the future. Daddy will definitely take you and your mother to live a better life."
After hearing this, Li Xiaoniu's eyes lit up and he said happily, "Great! Dad, I want to help you make soap too!"
Wang's eyes flashed with surprise. She looked at Li Tiezhu in disbelief and said, "Zhu, is this true? Can you really... really make this kind of soap?"
Didn't they buy it to save face? After all, such a delicate thing, are they sure that people like them can make it? Can they afford it?
Li Tiezhu looked at his wife and son, and his heart was filled with warmth and strength. He knew his wife's doubts, maybe she didn't know before, but now he really knew!
When he got the recipe, he couldn't believe that such a good thing could be made with just some oil. The recipe also said that this thing can not only clean and remove odors, but also reduce the risk of illness!
He was so skeptical that he didn't even wait to get home to start working on it. He directly borrowed materials from the military camp to make these pieces. Unexpectedly, he ended up alarming even General Kobayashi, who was in charge of their logistics.
So, now he can say to his wife with certainty, "Yes, I can do it, I made these pieces myself!"
Aunt Zhang stood aside, watching the family cheering and delighted as if they had found a treasure, and she couldn't help feeling a sense of inexplicable sadness and jealousy in her heart.
How could this man be so lucky, to be a soldier and come back with all these skills! No, she would go back and talk to the head of the family, how about sending their son to the army as well?