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墨書 Inktalez
"Let's talk later," Ivan said from a distance, as it was inconvenient to go back and forth.
Xu Li nodded. "I'll take the kids to the mall first. They keep shouting about wanting to buy toys."
Vasily laughed heartily and followed his sister-in-law's family into their large shopping mall. Anna and Eva pulled Vasily to the back, and Anna, looking a bit unhappy, complained, "Brother Three, the baby keeps stealing my snacks. It's so annoying!"
Eva chimed in, "Yeah, yeah! Mom and Dad won't let us be mad at the baby. It's clearly him stealing my snacks! You guys are so biased!"
Vasily affectionately ruffled the hair of his two silly sisters. "Don't worry, big brother will bring you back some more treats. How about a snack house just for you two?"
"Yay! That sounds great, Brother Three!"
The sisters happily hugged him and bounced a few times before holding hands to find their husband and kids. Vasily chuckled and shook his head, glancing around the mall as they walked.
This mall was the largest in Bratsk, featuring leisure areas, an indoor children's playground, clothing stores, electronics, furniture, and even building materials—not to mention everyday necessities.
At noon, his sister-in-law Sophia organized a meal for their family. In the afternoon, Xu Li returned to Hongqi Village with a cart full of goods for his wife and children while Vasily sent someone to look for large iron pots with a diameter of over one meter.
"You and Valery take turns driving. The car is full of kids; we can't have any accidents," Yevgeny said.
"Got it!"
Yevgeny nodded at Xu Li before getting into the car with Valery. Xu Li thought for a moment and waved at Valery. "Your eldest son hasn't done anything in Irkutsk anyway; why not let him get a driver's license? He could drive around the village."
"No!" Valery shook his head. "Aleksey is too reckless; he can't handle such dangerous work. We should ask around the village if anyone has a big truck that can help out."
"Just be careful," Xu Li replied, nodding. Once the bus drove off into the distance, he mounted his black horse and pulled on the reins toward the Cattle Shed. At that moment, several large trucks were parked outside the cafeteria, continuously unloading goods.
The men in the village were busy moving things around with smiles on their faces, but Petrov was the happiest of all because he had even saved money on his wedding banquet!
Xu Li handed out cigarettes to them and called over Yevgeny and another strong man. The three of them went to the pigpen in the Cattle Shed to select some ingredients and drove them into an empty space before heading over to pick out sheep.
As he walked back and forth in the sheep pen, he looked for ones that were still plump because they had already sold off a batch this year—about ten heads—so spending money wasn't much of a concern now.
"Baa!"
A black Grass Sheep unexpectedly bumped its head against Xu Li's thigh, causing him slight pain and annoyance. Grabbing its horn with his left hand, he lifted it off the ground and stared into its strange eyes. "If you dare to bump into people today, tomorrow you'll end up on someone's plate!"
With his right hand gripping the neck of the Grass Sheep, he twisted his thumb sharply, and with a crack, the creature stopped moving. He tossed it out of the sheep pen, watching as Yevgeny and another man blinked in surprise.
Soon, two cows, two pigs, and a sheep were bled out and processed. A few diligent women took the entrails in large iron basins to prepare them, ensuring they would have hot soup for dinner. In this place, they didn’t eat much offal because meat was cheap; when they could have meat, they wouldn’t touch the organs. The main reason was that they simply didn’t know how to cook them!
Animal entrails had a distinct taste that some people couldn’t get used to, while others savored them wholeheartedly. At that moment, several large round tables were surrounded by men, women, and children enjoying hot pot and grilled meat. Although the reunion dinner was scheduled for tomorrow, it didn’t stop them from indulging in fresh food today. Lao Yi’s family occupied two tables, drinking and chatting, while the children sat at three tables, each supervised by two matronly women.
The remaining young adults filled two more tables; it could be said that everyone from the village was present. In the milky white lamb soup, each ladle was filled with meat and well-prepared entrails. Dipping it in a mildly spicy sauce and adding a splash of vinegar made for a delightful treat that had everyone licking their lips.
Xu Li raised a full glass of vodka and stood up to toast: “Cheers to this year’s bountiful harvest!” Ura! The villagers of Hongqi Village all lifted their glasses in response: Ura!
“Don’t be shy about eating; if there isn’t enough, there are still two big pots in the kitchen,” Xu Li encouraged as he set down his glass and beckoned everyone to eat and drink. In the center of the table were two large copper pots for grilling and boiling, surrounded by neatly sliced beef and lamb, along with various hot pot ingredients like beef tripe and lamb stomachs. A wide array of vegetables circled around them.
Andrei sat at his brother’s table, slightly tipsy and unable to hide his delight. Beside him were Pushkin and Popov, who kept urging Andrei to drink more.
“Everyone quiet down for a moment,” Andrei called out after finishing a glass of vodka in one gulp. He clapped his hands and stood up to address all the villagers: “I have an announcement! Starting next year, our village chief in Hongqi Village will be my son-in-law Makarov. He will lead us all forward!”
Xu Li walked over to Andrei’s side, wanting to say something more but was pulled back by his father-in-law’s arm around his shoulder with a reassuring pat: “Who supports Makarov as village chief?”
“I do!” came one voice.
“I support him too!”
“Me as well!”
Every time a villager expressed their support, they stood up with their glasses raised. Seeing this made Xu Li feel emotional; even the little ones picked up their juice cups imitating the adults: “Uncle is going to be chief!”
Zhuo Ya happily climbed onto a chair, grinning widely at her father with her right thumb raised: “Daddy is awesome!”
A toast to our village chief, Makarov! Ura!
Yurian laughed heartily as he raised his glass, and the others waited for Xu Li to lift his cup before they all shouted in unison, "Ura! Ura! Ura!"
"Thank you, everyone!" Xu Li filled his glass. "Let’s drink up!"
Then the villagers, along with him, tilted their heads back and downed their drinks—be it wine or another beverage—before they chuckled and sat down to continue eating and drinking.
After the banquet ended, the father-in-law and son-in-law leaned on each other as they staggered back to the living room. Natasha poured them some hot tea and then washed the faces and feet of a few grandchildren, urging them to go to bed early.
Andrei patted Xu Li's knee. "Being the village chief isn't easy, you know. The most important thing is fairness! You can't take sides when villagers are arguing just because you dislike one party or are closer to another."
"Another point is generosity. As the village chief, you're the leader for everyone. If you’re not lacking in food or clothing, when someone is in trouble, you should lend a helping hand. Only by living together on this plain can we build cohesion; then your words will carry weight!"
Xu Li nodded. "Yes! I understand, Dad!"
"Get some rest; the kids will be back tomorrow, and you'll have your hands full."
Andrei swayed slightly as he got up to head back to his room. Xu Li lit a cigarette and began to smoke slowly, suddenly feeling an inexplicable heaviness settle on his shoulders.
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