They bought flowers, but Sokov felt that they were not enough. He, his son-in-law, had not shown up for several years, and when he came to see his parents-in-law, he only brought a bouquet of flowers. What was going on? So he said to Asya
: "Asia, I think we should go to the officer's store to buy some things."
Although the war was over, Sokov learned through Gurchenko and Anna that although Moscow had abolished the supply system, supplies were still not sufficient. If you wanted to buy anything good, you could only go to the officer or military store.
"Aunt Damanna," Asiya asked Damanna: "Is the officer's store in town still there?"
"No more, Asiya." After hearing what Asiya said, Aunt Damana immediately understood the other party's intention and quickly explained to her: "Because our place is too remote, not many officers visit us all year round.
So the officers’ store was cancelled, leaving only one military store, but the supplies inside were richer than other stores.”
Although the officer's store is gone, the supplies in the military store are still richer than in other stores. This is what Sokov wants to know. After Damana finished speaking, he said to Asiya: "Asiya
, since the officer’s store has been cancelled, let’s go to the military store.”
After the two asked Damana where the military store was, they walked hand in hand in that direction. After walking for a while, Sokov said to Asiya: "Asiya, I have something to buy later.
Leave it all to me, so I won’t bother you."
"But what if there are too many things that you can't carry alone?" Asiya asked worriedly.
"It's okay. If there are too many things, I can borrow a trolley from the store and push it back." Sokov said softly: "You are just pregnant, so you can't do heavy work. If you accidentally move the tire, you will be in trouble."
Trouble."
"How can I be so squeamish? I can't even take anything."
Sokov put the sunflower in his hand into Asiya's hand: "Of course I can't let you go empty-handed, you will be responsible for taking the flower."
When the two came to the military store, Sokov saw that there were no soldiers on duty at the door, so he pushed the closed glass door open.
A young saleswoman standing behind the counter saw Sokov and Asya walking in and quickly said: "Two comrades, this is a military store. If you are not a military member or a military family member, you cannot buy anything here.
of!"
Faced with the saleswoman's reminder, Sokov quickly took out his military ID card from his jacket pocket, waved it at her, and said: "Comrade salesperson, we are all active military personnel. We went out to do some personal things today, so we didn't wear military uniforms."
Regarding Sokov's statement, the salesperson did not choose to believe it immediately. Instead, she stretched out her hand to Sokov and said politely: "Comrade soldier, can you show me your military ID card?" She may be worried that Sokov's statement will be ignored.
Kove disagreed and specifically added, "This is a rule of our store. Every soldier who purchases goods here needs to take out his military ID to register."
Now that the words have come to this, it is obviously inappropriate not to show the other party his ID. Sokov hesitated for a moment, then handed the military ID card in his hand to the other party: "Please take a look, comrade salesperson!
"
The salesperson took Sokov's ID and looked at it, and his eyes widened in surprise: "So you... you are a general! Please... please forgive me, I was too rash just now." The salesperson said in a panic,
"Our manager is in the back room. I asked him to come out immediately." After saying that, he turned around and ran into a small room next to him. Perhaps because he was so nervous, he even forgot to return his military ID card to Sokov.
.
Seeing that the salesperson took away Sokov's ID, Asiya couldn't help but feel a little nervous: "Misha, the salesperson just said that everyone who buys things here must register their ID information. Will this affect your identity?"
Leak?"
Asya's words reminded Sokov that after he went to the Far East, he would change his name to Major Matevosyan. If the salesperson in the military store really registered his name, even if she would not give the registration book to others.
Look, but there is always the risk of leaking the secret. Thinking of this, he turned to Asiya and asked: "Asiya, did you bring your military ID?"
"Of course!" Asiya nodded and said in a positive tone: "During the entire war, I stayed in Moscow longer than you. Naturally, I know the importance of carrying documents with you. Otherwise, if you are found out by the patrol that you do not have documents,
, they will take you to the garrison commander and lock you up."
"Just bring it with you." Sokov said: "Use your ID when registering later. This will avoid the trouble of leaking secrets."
After a while, the salesperson came out of the room with a bald little old man. Some nervously introduced Sokov: "Comrade General, this is our manager."
"Hello, Comrade General!" The manager shook hands with Sokov across the counter and said with sincerity: "This is the first time for a big man like you to come here. If there is any inconvenience in our hospitality, please forgive me.
"
"Comrade Manager," Sokov decided to clarify the matter first to avoid unnecessary trouble later: "Although the war has ended, my whereabouts are still classified, so when I register later, I can
Instead of using my ID, do you want to use my wife’s ID?”
"Yes, yes, of course." After the manager figured out what was going on, he quickly nodded and agreed: "After purchasing something in a military store, you must register the information on the military ID. This is a rule set by the superiors, and we have no way to change it.
But the superiors have no hard and fast rules as to whose ID must be used for registration, so there is no problem in using your wife’s military ID to register.”
Sokov took the military ID card handed back by the manager and handed Asiya's military ID card over: "Just register the information on this military ID card."
While the salesperson was registering the information, the manager opened a cover on the counter, walked out, nodded and asked Sokov: "Comrade General, what are you planning to buy today?"
"Comrade Manager, I'm going to visit my elders. I don't know what I should buy?"
"We have fresh bread and cakes here that were just delivered by the bakery not long ago." The manager enthusiastically introduced: "How about you buy some of this?"
Hearing that the bread and cakes were delivered by the bakery, Asiya quickly waved her hands and said: "Forget the bread and cakes, you can give us two boxes of snacks, two bottles of good wine, cheese, sausages, bacon, flour and sugar.
.”
When Sokov heard Asiya's refusal to ask for bread and cakes, he immediately remembered that his mother-in-law worked in the bakery. Maybe the things the manager recommended to him were sent by his mother-in-law. He waited for Asiya
After finishing speaking, he added: "Is there any mutton?"
"Yes, Comrade General." The manager replied: "There are fresh lamb, lamb chops and lamb legs. What do you want to order?"
"Lamb chops." Sokov said, "Bring me five pounds."
"Okay!" the manager agreed, and ran to the counter where the mutton was placed to help Sokov cut the mutton chops.
Seeing the manager doing it himself, Sokov asked curiously: "Comrade manager, are you the only two in this store?"
"There used to be five people, but they were all transferred out in the past few days, so there are only two of us left." The manager took the lamb chops out of the counter, put them on the scale and weighed them, and asked Sokov:
"Just give it to you directly, or chop it into pieces?"
"Chop it into pieces, of course." Sokov didn't want to have to chop the mutton chops himself after returning with the mutton chops, so he said directly: "Chop it into small pieces, I will use it."
"Okay, Comrade General!" After the manager said, he took the weighed mutton chops and went to a nearby meat chopping block. It was said to be a block, but it was actually a thick tree stump. After the manager put the mutton chops on it, he picked up the
The ax placed next to him chopped hard.
It can be seen that he must have been doing this kind of work for a long time. In less than two minutes, the lamb chops were hidden. He put the chopped lamb chops into a cloth bag and brought it to Sokov:
"Comrade General, this is your mutton chop. Please take it. Is there anything else you need?"
"Comrade Manager," Asiya next to her suddenly said, "I see you have frozen chicken here, so give me another chicken."
"Want it whole or chopped?" the manager asked.
"Chopped." Asiya had the same idea as Sokov. After she chopped the chicken she bought, she wouldn't have to clean it up when she got home.
The manager was quick with his hands and feet. After placing a frozen chicken on the pier, he chopped it into chicken pieces by dividing it by two. He also put it into a cloth bag and handed it to Sokov.
Seeing that the chicken was chopped, Asiya said to the manager: "You still have pineapples here. Please bring me another one."
After picking out the items, Sokov saw the huge pile in front of him and politely asked the manager: "Comrade manager, can you lend me the trolley? Otherwise, I won't be able to take so many things home."
"
"Okay." The manager nodded and said, "If my people are not transferred, I can still arrange for them to deliver the goods. Now I can only trouble you to push it back by yourself and send the trolley back to me when you have time.
"
"Comrade manager, my mother's name is Nina, she works in the bakery next to the flower shop." Asiya said to the manager: "I will ask her to return the trolley to you tomorrow."
"Oh, are you Nina's daughter?" When the manager heard what Asiya said, he quickly showed a surprised expression: "I have long heard that Nina has a beautiful daughter who has been working on the front line, but I have never seen her.
, I finally met the real person today. Since we are all acquaintances, there is no problem. Just ask your mother to return the stroller when she is free."
When Sokov pushed the trolley and followed Asiya towards home, he couldn't help but curiously asked: "Asiya, why did you buy the pineapple? I see this pineapple.
It doesn’t look fresh, so it probably doesn’t taste good either.”
"I didn't buy this pineapple just to eat it." Asiya explained to Sokov: "I plan to use the pineapple to make you a pineapple chicken dish."
"Pineapple chicken?" Sokov asked, "What is pineapple chicken?"
Seeing that Sokov didn't know about pineapple chicken, Asiya explained to him: "First cut the pineapple in half, empty out all the flesh inside, then put in the marinated chicken pieces and close the pineapple shell.
Then, put it in the oven to bake, and after forty minutes, the fragrant pineapple chicken will be out of the oven."
After listening to Asiya's description of how to make pineapple chicken, the first thing Sokov thought of was the famous beggar's chicken in China, but that kind of chicken is wrapped in lotus leaves and soil, while this kind is made of chopped chicken pieces.
In the hollowed-out pineapple, the flavors of the two should be different.
Just as Sokov was imagining the delicious taste of pineapple chicken, Asiya asked again: "Misha, what are you buying lamb chops for? Let me tell you, apart from being used for roasting, this thing has a strong smell.
After frying the mutton chops, the house could smell the mutton smell for several days. I used to like eating mutton, but since I became pregnant, I feel sick when I smell the mutton smell."
"Don't worry, Asiya." Sokov comforted Asiya and said, "The lamb chops I bought are not for frying, but for roasting."
"How to bake it?" Asiya asked curiously.
"First prepare a few potatoes, wash them, cut them into pieces, and lay them flat under the baking sheet, and then put the washed lamb chops on top of these potatoes." Sokov told Asiya about his future life.
Commonly used method of roasting lamb chops: "Put the tray into the oven and start baking. As the temperature rises, the fat in the lamb chops will secrete out, flow to the potatoes spread below, and seep into the potatoes. Wait like this
After the lamb chops are grilled, not only the lamb chops are delicious, but even the potatoes underneath are particularly delicious."
"Really?" Of course, Asiya has never seen Sokov's way of grilling lamb chops. She said excitedly: "Then let's go home quickly. I can't help but want to taste your grilled lamb chops."
Lamb chops."
"Don't worry, Asiya." Sokov reminded Asiya: "We came back today without notifying your parents in advance. It's still unknown whether they are at home. If we rush over in such a hurry, we might be rejected.
.”
Sokov's words reminded Asiya: "Misha, you are right. I did not tell my parents that I would go home today. More importantly, they probably don't even know whether I am in Moscow.
.Rush over now, there must be no one at home, what should I do?"
"It's okay, let's go to your house first." Sokov said to Asiya: "If there is no one, we will put the things at the door first, and then go to the bakery to find your mother. She must be there."
"Misha, let's do this." Asiya thought for a while and said to Sokov: "Anyway, you know where my home is. You might as well go directly to my home with the cart and wait for me. I will go to the bakery to find my mother now.
She came home and opened the door for us."
"That's okay." Seeing that Sokov's current location is about the same distance from the bakery and Asiya's parents' home, if he goes to the house first and finds no one there, then comes back to find Asiya's mother, and he goes back and forth.
It would take a lot of unnecessary steps, so Sokov did not persist and nodded in agreement with Sokov's proposal: "Then I will push the cart to your parents' house first, and you can go to the bakery to find your mother. Now you have
If you are pregnant, you should be more careful on the road to avoid any accidents."
"Don't worry, Misha." Asiya smiled sweetly and said, "I'm not a child, I know how to take care of myself."