4 004

◎The Fourth Day of the King of Scrolls◎

“I know,” Jiang Wanzhou said softly but firmly, “but there’s no other way. We have to get the eggs. When have we ever worried about eggs…”

But now it's the 1970s, everyone's like this, so I won't say anything.

Modern life was also brought about by our predecessors.

"I'll be careful. I won't mention the baby formula. I'll just say... say it's a folk remedy from your area?" She made up an excuse on the spot.

Shen Xinglian remained silent for a few seconds, and finally nodded very slightly, which could be considered as tacit consent.

At the same time, she laboriously raised her hand and pointed in the direction of the tin can where the milk powder was hidden.

Jiang Wanzhou understood immediately.

This time, she gritted her teeth and scraped off a little more than last time, about half a spoonful of milk powder.

This is their last "capital"!

She followed the same method, quickly started a fire, added the precious milk powder, and spread it out on the scalding hot stone pot.

This time, she was more careful with the heat, striving to make each piece golden and crispy, and as regular in shape as possible.

The powerful aroma of milk and caramel rises again, even richer and purer than yesterday!

Jiang Wanzhou couldn't help but swallow hard.

She carefully placed the baked rice crust buns in a clean basket, and then covered the outside with an old cloth.

After doing all this, she took a deep breath.

Jiang Wanzhou straightened her back and pushed open the broken wooden door outside.

The sunlight was a bit too bright.

She squinted and tried to determine the direction.

The educated youth settlement was located in an abandoned old ancestral hall at the end of the village.

Along the way, she could feel those subtle, inquisitive, and disdainful glances.

The sound of pointing and whispering also drifted into my ears:

"Look, that troublemaker from the Jiang family has gone out!"

"I heard he nearly killed his sister-in-law yesterday..."

Where is she going?

Jiang Wanzhou ignored him, only lowered her head, quickened her pace, and tightly protected the "baby" in her arms with both hands.

The old ancestral hall had been simply tidied up, and there were some freshly cut timbers piled up at the entrance, clearly indicating that furniture was being made.

Several young men and women were busy in the courtyard; some were chopping firewood, while others were airing out their bedding.

Although their clothes were simple, they were clean and the fabric was noticeably better than that of the villagers, giving them a distinct "urban" feel.

Jiang Wanzhou's appearance was like a pebble thrown into a calm pond.

The busy educated youth all stopped what they were doing and focused their attention on her.

Curiosity, scrutiny, and a hint of... alienation and rejection.

After all, the rumors about the "vicious sister-in-law" had already spread throughout the educated youth settlement yesterday.

Jiang Wanzhou's heart was in her throat, and her palms were sweaty.

She tried to remain calm, her eyes quickly searching through the crowd.

Finally, in the shade under the eaves of the ancestral hall, she saw that figure.

Zhou Qingyu did not participate in the labor.

He sat on a simple stool that had just been nailed together and still smelled of fresh wood, with a book spread out on his lap and a military water bottle beside him.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the eaves, casting dappled shadows on his handsome profile.

He lowered his head slightly, his long, slender fingers turning a page of the book.

Jiang Wanzhou took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and walked in that direction.

Her footsteps caught Zhou Qingyu's attention.

He looked up, his gaze shifting from the pages of the book to Jiang Wanzhou, who was a few steps away.

His eyes were calm and unwavering, showing no surprise or disgust, only a faint, inquisitive look, as if he were observing a sample.

Jiang Wanzhou felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze, as if all her thoughts could be seen through by those eyes.

She stopped a few steps away from him, her voice a little dry from nervousness, trying to make her tone sound less abrupt: "Zhou...Zhou Zhiqing?"

Zhou Qingyu closed the book and stood up.

He was very tall, and when he stood up, Jiang Wanzhou looked even smaller.

He nodded slightly, his voice clear and cold, revealing no emotion: "Comrade Jiang? Is something the matter?"

The other educated youths around looked over curiously and whispered among themselves.

Jiang Wanzhou felt her face burning; she could feel the gazes behind her like needles.

She bit her lower lip and took the package out of her bosom.

She didn't open it immediately, but instead handed it forward, lowering her voice even further, with a desperate, tentative tone: "Thank you for the doctor that Zhou Zhiqing brought."

Zhou Qingyu's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

He glanced at the package Jiang Wanzhou handed him, but didn't take it immediately. His gaze returned to Jiang Wanzhou's face, with a hint of scrutiny: "No need."

Jiang Wanzhou's hand froze in mid-air, her face flushed even more, and her heart felt as if it had been doused with a bucket of cold water.

She gave an awkward twitch of her lips, preparing to put the package down and find an excuse to leave this place that made her feel so uncomfortable.

Just then, a sharp voice suddenly rang out from the crowd: "Hey, isn't this that troublemaker from the Jiang family, that bastard sister-in-law? Bringing a tattered package, are you planning something again?"

The speaker was a female educated youth wearing a floral shirt. She crossed her arms, a mocking smile on her lips, and her eyes were full of disdain.

This is Xia Meilin, who has a bad temper and is also the heroine's scapegoat in the book.

Jiang Wanzhou's eyes instantly turned cold. She straightened her back, looked directly at Xia Meilin without fear, and said loudly, "Me, bring bad luck to my sister-in-law? Which eye of yours saw that? Don't spout nonsense! I brought these things to sincerely thank Zhou Zhiqing for helping to get a doctor, unlike some people who only know how to gossip all day long and have no serious business to attend to!"

A burst of laughter erupted around them, and Xia Meilin's face turned extremely ugly. She pointed at Jiang Wanzhou angrily and said, "You...you dare to talk back! This is something everyone's been talking about. Do you dare to say you haven't done anything wrong?"

Jiang Wanzhou sneered, took two steps forward, approached Xia Meilin, and said, "Is what everyone's saying true? If you hear others say that you're having an affair with some male educated youth, is that also true? Don't throw mud at me without evidence, or I won't tolerate you!"

Xia Meilin was rendered speechless by Jiang Wanzhou's rebuttal, trembling with anger, yet unable to find any words to refute him.

The other educated youth around them looked at each other in surprise, never expecting that Jiang Wanzhou, who usually seemed so gentle and weak, could be so sharp-tongued when she started to argue.

Su Xiaomei quickly helped Xia Meilin up and gave Jiang Wanzhou an awkward smile.

Zhou Qingyu frowned slightly, glanced at her book, and a hint of displeasure flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

He looked at Jiang Wanzhou, his voice still clear and cold: "Comrade Jiang, it's not easy for you to come all this way. What's in the package? I'll trade you eggs for it, so you won't have made a wasted trip."

Jiang Wanzhou snorted coldly, withdrew her gaze, looked at Zhou Qingyu, and slowly opened the package, revealing the golden and crispy milk-flavored rice crust inside.

The rich aroma of milk instantly filled the air, causing the surrounding educated youth to crane their necks, their eyes filled with curiosity and surprise.

"This is... crispy rice crust?" Zhou Qingyu raised an eyebrow slightly, not expecting Jiang Wanzhou to bring such a thing.

Jiang Wanzhou nodded, crossed her arms, raised her chin, and said, "Zhou Zhiqing, these are rice crust buns I made with the last bit of milk powder at home. I wanted to thank you for helping me call a doctor yesterday. I know they may not be worth much, but I put a lot of effort into making them. They're much better than some people who only know how to talk."

Zhou Qingyu was silent for a moment, then turned and went into the house. A moment later, he came out and took out six eggs. He walked up to Jiang Wanzhou, handed her the eggs, and said in a flat but distant tone, "Comrade Jiang, I appreciate your kindness, but I can't accept things for nothing. Consider the eggs as an exchange. Besides, it's getting late, so you should go home early."

Jiang Wanzhou glanced at the sky; it was almost time for dinner, which meant she was being told to leave.

She pursed her lips, feeling a little bitter, but quickly regained her stubbornness.

She didn't reach out to take the eggs, but looked directly into Zhou Qingyu's eyes and said loudly, "Zhou Qingyu, what do you mean by this? I, Jiang Wanzhou, am giving you this sincerely, not to make a deal with you! If you don't like it, just say so. There's no need to try to fob me off with these two eggs!"

Zhou Qingyu was slightly taken aback, not expecting Jiang Wanzhou to refute him so directly.

He frowned and said, "Comrade Jiang, that's not what I meant. It's a basic principle of being a decent person not to accept things from others casually."

Jiang Wanzhou smiled dismissively: "I only know that if someone helps me, I should thank them properly. There's nothing to feel bad about!"

Some of the educated youth around began to whisper among themselves. Some thought Jiang Wanzhou was too immature, while others thought she was quite individualistic.

Seeing this, Xia Meilin jumped out again and said sarcastically, "Oh, Jiang Wanzhou, how can your steamed bun be more precious than an egg? Zhou Zhiqing did this because he was afraid you would have other ideas. Don't be ungrateful!"

Jiang Wanzhou glared at her and said angrily, "Whether I have other ideas or not is none of your business! If you have so much free time to meddle in my affairs, you should watch your own mouth instead of all you do all day long and spread rumors!"

The female educated youth's face turned red and white as Jiang Wanzhou scolded her. Just as she was about to retort, Zhou Qingyu raised her hand to stop her.

He looked at Jiang Wanzhou and said, "Comrade Jiang, I didn't think things through today. Please don't take it to heart. You can keep these eggs; consider them a small token of my appreciation."

Jiang Wanzhou noticed that Zhou Qingyu's expression had become much colder, indicating that the man was already impatient: "Zhou Qingyu, I, Jiang Wanzhou, am not the kind of person who likes to take advantage of others. I've already accepted the eggs. If you like this steamed bun, I'll give you another one. If you don't like it, I'll thank you later if there's something else good to eat."

Zhou Qingyu sighed helplessly and said, "Alright then, Comrade Jiang, I'll accept this crispy rice cake. But if you ever encounter any difficulties in the future, you can come to me for help."

Jiang Wanzhou then smiled and said, "That's more like it. Zhou Zhiqing, I'll be going now. You go ahead with your work."

After saying that, Jiang Wanzhou turned and left the educated youth settlement.

Zhou Qingyu watched her departing figure, shook her head slightly, and went into the room, placing the package on the table beside her.

After Jiang Wanzhou walked away, the few educated youths who had been silent until now gathered around.

Shen Jiahao, dressed in blue overalls, said with a smile, "Brother Yu, this Jiang Wanzhou is quite interesting. She looks gentle and weak, but she's not at all hesitant when she's arguing with people."

Zhou Qingyu was leaning against the bed continuing to read when she heard Shen Jiahao's words, and her hand stopped turning the pages.

Then, I continued reading.

[Author's Note]

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