When Ning Xi returned to her uncle's house, Liu Chunmei was still busy in the kitchen. She only heard a series of banging sounds. Ning Zhisong and Ning Shaolan were not at home.

The winters in Mingjiang City are extremely cold. Most people live in bungalows with kangs, and the kitchens are almost always inside the house. However, the layout of Uncle Ning's house is slightly different.

A small room was built on the west side to serve as a kitchen, with the door facing inside the house, not outside.

"Auntie, what are you busy with?" Ning Xi smelled a fragrance. Liu Chunmei was squatting on the kitchen floor, pounding something with a large stone mortar. The fragrance came from inside.

"You're leaving soon, so I can't help you with anything else. I'll make you something to eat."

Liu Chunmei got up early in the morning, first went to find a colleague to help her cover for the day, and then went home to fry the saved soybeans, peanuts and sesame seeds.

These peanuts were supplied on New Year's Day this year. Each person was given one pound of food. Uncle Ning's family only had three people on their food allowance, so they bought three pounds of peanuts with the skin on.

I only fried a pound of peanuts during the Chinese New Year to satisfy my craving, and saved the rest by peeling the peanuts.

The soybeans and sesame seeds were sent back by the youngest son Ning Jiqiu who went to the countryside.

"It smells so good, Auntie, your cooking skills are no worse than a chef!"

Ning Xi took a deep breath of the fragrance, and the glutton in her stomach started to stir again.

"That's right, your uncle wouldn't do these things." Liu Chunmei was praised on the point, smiled proudly, and moved faster.

"These are fried rice, soybeans, peanuts, and sesame seeds. I've mashed them all up. Pour boiling water over them and they'll be fragrant and filling. Add some brown sugar and it'll be delicious!

In the morning, before going out to work, make a bowl and drink it, otherwise you will have no energy, understand?"

"Thank you, Auntie! You are so kind to me, more like my own mother than my biological mother." Ning Xi held Liu Chunmei's hand, took the stone pestle and pounded it herself.

"Let me do it, you take a rest, Auntie!" She saw the dark shadows under Liu Chunmei's eyelids, and she probably didn't sleep well last night.

Ning Xi felt both happy and sad. She was happy that she had such relatives who took care of her and cared about her.

The sad thing is that these originally belonged to the original owner, but she has now disappeared from this world.

The grains were too big to be soaked, so Liu Chunmei pounded them little by little. Her arms were already so sore that she couldn't bear it any more. Now that Ning Xi took over this job, it was a good opportunity for her to relax.

"Xiaoxi, Auntie will divide this rice porridge into two portions later. Take one portion to your third brother. Your uncle has gone to send a telegram to Xiaolan."

Liu Chunmei took out the oil paper she had cut earlier and packed the rice paste in small portions.

"You can take one portion if you want to eat one. It's convenient this way."

Liu Chunmei gave Ning Xi detailed instructions, sometimes telling her to be smarter and not do any work, and sometimes asking her to unite well with her fellow educated youth.

"I heard that people in some places are very xenophobic, and educated youth who go there are likely to be bullied. Regardless of whether you have internal conflicts or not, you must unite and face the outside world on major issues."

Ning Xi lowered her head, confused, her eyes filled with tears.

Her parents divorced when she was young and she was left to be raised by her grandparents in the countryside. She was taken back to the city to attend boarding school in junior high school.

Every time I go out, I am alone.

......

"Second sister! We are back." Ning Shaolan followed Uncle Ning into the house carrying a few bags of things.

The two first went to the post office to send a telegram asking Ning Ji Qiu to go to the train station to pick up the things, and then went to the supply and marketing cooperative to make some purchases.

"I heard that educated youth who went to the countryside received subsidies. Those going south received ten feet of cloth coupons, two kilograms of cotton coupons, ten yuan in cash, and a mosquito net."

Ning Ji Qiu had received subsidies when he went to the countryside before, but he went to a neighboring province, also in the north, so the subsidies were a little higher.

There were twenty-six feet of cloth coupons, six pounds of cotton, and seventeen yuan in cash, just enough to buy a quilt.

They will also provide a cotton-padded jacket.

The policies in every place are different. When Ning Shaolan went out, he went to the educated youth site to ask about this year's policies.

Ning Xi: “…”

She only remembered to donate Lin Xiaoyue's share, but she actually forgot about her own.

Liu Chunmei knew at a glance that the item was not in her hands, and cursed softly: "Bah! Fuck her uncle, break her legs."

Ning Zhisong had sharp ears and heard everything clearly. He glared at Liu Chunmei and said, "What nonsense are you talking about in front of the children?"

What are you talking about behind others’ backs? It would be bad if the children learned from it!

Ning Zhisong took over the confusing task and asked Liu Chunmei, Ning Shaolan and Ning Xi to go to the room to count the luggage to see if anything was missing.

"This is a mattress pad, this is a quilt, and there are also pillows, pillowcases, and spare sheets. They're all old, but we don't have enough thick quilts at home. I'll send them to you when I get some cotton."

Cotton was in short supply, and there was only one quilt per person, so there were no extras.

Liu Chunmei made this set of bedding by dismantling one of Ning Shaolan's winter quilts.

"Auntie, I don't want the quilt. I'll go home and get it later. Don't worry." Lin Xiaoyue's quilt was nice and just right for her!

"Second sister, here are the menstrual pads! And toilet paper."

I heard that it’s extremely hot in the south, so you must change this thing frequently. If you don’t have enough, it will definitely not be enough.

Given her second sister's situation at home, there definitely wouldn't be much of this stuff.

Ning Shaolan handed over the things he bought as if he were presenting a treasure, with a look on his face that said, "Did I do a good job? Praise me, praise me."

"Thank you, Xiaolan, you are so thoughtful."

I heard that you need a ticket to buy a menstrual belt at that time, but most people just sew two for themselves.

As soon as Ning Xi put the menstrual pad into the luggage, her heart skipped a beat. It seemed that the original owner had not had her period yet!

Still have to carry a spare though.

Liu Chunmei prepared everything, even a water bottle, a thermos, soap, laundry detergent, towels and other daily necessities, as well as a bag of brown sugar and a bag of fruit candy.

I need all these things, but I can’t send them because the mail is too slow.

There were also two cans of meat sauce made by Ning Zhisong, wrapped in oil paper and tightly wrapped in an old towel.

"It's hot, so it's hard to store food. I'll cook it and put it in there before I leave."

"Auntie, I'm going back now. You guys should get some rest early! I have some eggs in my bag. You can eat them first, otherwise they will go bad tomorrow."

After a busy whole day, Ning Xi wanted to go home in the afternoon, and as usual, Ning Zhisong took her home.

However, before leaving, Ning Xi secretly put a hundred yuan under Liu Chunmei's pillow, and she also put the six feet of cloth coupons she got from Wang Cuiping there.

They bought her so many things today, and the thermos alone was not easy to buy. Although they didn't ask her for money or tickets, Ning Xi couldn't feel at ease enjoying other people's kindness.

She has nothing but money now, so she can only give money.

As for the rest, we’ll talk about it when we get back.

"Go back and be careful." Uncle Ning sent Ning Xi to the street entrance and watched her walk in.

There are many educated youth going to the countryside in Ningxi. The district will send a car to pick them up at noon the day after tomorrow, and take them to the train station to leave on the "Mingjiang City Educated Youth Special Train".