Chapter 193: Chapter 191: Three Years, Pinky Swear

Wang Liansheng watched as the people walked away, shook his head, and continued with his work.

It was almost time to clock out when he heard the news that Old Master Lian had returned, saying he went out to look for a countryside delicacy he remembered.

Wang Liansheng just smiled at this, brushed it aside, and rode his bicycle home after work.

The night before last, little Shi Tou had repeatedly reminded him that he wanted a slingshot, just like Zhao Xiaoqiang in his class, and they were going to compete to see who was better with a slingshot.

When little Xing heard this, she asked him for an ice sled, saying that she had made arrangements with Xing Fei and Zheng Lin. In half a month, when the lake next to the compound froze over, they would go ice skating.

Passing by the state-owned restaurant, Wang Liansheng happened to see freshly braised chicken offal being served hot on a white enamel tray, still steaming.

The kids loved this stuff; it was tasty and without bones. So Wang Liansheng got off his bike to buy a pound, and seeing the chef also bringing out a tray of pig feet and tails, he bought some of those too.

The kids at home were all growing, each greedier than a cat. They’d never have enough meat, and whenever there was a meat dish, their eyes would light up.

Wang Liansheng carried two paper-wrapped packages, asked for extra wrapping paper for insulation, and pedaled home quickly.

As soon as he entered the house, barely having stopped his bike, Ling Chengyan came back with little Shi Tou from the nursery.

Little Shi Tou immediately spotted Wang Liansheng and pattered over, hugging his leg with a rosy face, smiling widely: "Dad, what tasty food did you buy? It smells so good!"

Wang Liansheng tapped his little nose with his finger and laughed, "You little glutton, you could already smell it. Dad bought your favorite pig tails and your sister’s favorite chicken offal. Let’s go wash your hands; they have to be clean before you eat."

Hongling walked out of the kitchen with an apron on, smiling, "Uncle, I’ve rolled out the dough, but you should make the sauce. Your cooking is much better than mine."

Wang Liansheng smiled and agreed, "Alright."

He cheerfully instructed, "Chengyan, peel a couple of green onions and crack four or five eggs..."

Ling Chengyan acknowledged and was about to head to the kitchen when Hongling chimed in with a smile, "Let me handle the onions and eggs. Auntie, you take a break; Uncle is quick with the sauce, and when little Xing and the others are back, dinner will be ready."

Ling Chengyan wasn’t really skilled in kitchen tasks, so she didn’t insist after hearing Hongling’s words. Just then, she overheard little Shi Tou helping his dad by wiping his hands while chatting about the slingshot, and her eyes lit up, thinking this was something she could handle.

So, Wang Liansheng handed a piece of pig tail for little Shi Tou to nibble on, and Ling Chengyan, with little Shi Tou munching on the tail, led him out the door to look for the right tree branch among the firewood stacked outside the yard.

A while back, in a nearby village, trees had been cut down. Wang Liansheng happened to pass by and bought some branches for firewood.

She remembered there were some jujube branches mixed in.

Jujube wood grows slowly, is tough and dense, durable, beautifully colored, feels nice after polishing, and is unlikely to snap or crack, making it ideal for crafting slingshot frames.

With a keen eye, Ling Chengyan quickly found a suitable jujube branch, and with an axe, she trimmed off the excess, keeping just a section of the branch.

Little Shi Tou watched as his mom swiftly picked out a piece of wood, tipped up on his toes, and reached to touch it, but Ling Chengyan moved it out of his reach, "This branch has thorns and hasn’t been polished yet; you can’t touch it."

Saying this, she led little Shi Tou back to the yard, used the axe to lightly trim around it, smoothing off the rough spots and bark, leaving just a ’Y’-shaped core.

"Here, hold this, and let’s go find some more things." She handed the roughly made slingshot frame to little Shi Tou, holding his hand as they headed out, straight to the Automobile Company next door.

The soldiers there, often repairing vehicles, had a habit of collecting materials and parts. Almost everyone had a materials box with usable or seemingly unusable components.

Old inner tubes from cars made excellent rubber slingshot bands, far better than the bike inner tubes or valve stems the kids usually used.

It had been a while since Ling Chengyan last visited, and she saw a few new faces. These were new recruits who had come in after she led some others to the Special Service Company.

She greeted the veterans with a smile, "Who has some old inner tubes? I just need a couple of strips..."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com