Chapter 154 Staying in Dabi Village!

“Yes, Uncle!” Zhou replied with a smile.

The village chief chuckled and said, "Girl, my surname is Zhang. You can call me Uncle Zhang from now on! I have four sons at home, but the eldest and second eldest stay at home!"

They'll be back around noon; they're all a bit older than you.

"Okay, Uncle Zhang!"

Just then, two people came out of the kitchen, smiling and saying, "Young lady, you can call us Sister-in-law Zhang or Sister-in-law Zhang!"

"Okay!"

After drinking the brown sugar water, Aunt Zhang went back inside to take care of the children. Several older children were playing in the yard.

Zhang Ersao and Zhang Shen were cooking in the kitchen.

The steamed buns and flatbreads were left inside, so that Grandpa could easily eat them if he got hungry.

The aroma of food filled the courtyard. Brother Zhang and Second Brother Zhang had already returned, and Aunt Zhang came in and called out, "Young man, young lady, come out and eat!"

Xie Jianshe and Zhou Ye politely responded and left after settling their grandfather in.

On the dining table was a large pot of stewed cabbage, tofu, and pork belly. Zhou Ye immediately noticed the Zhang family's longing for the food and saw the children's drooling.

It seems that such a meal is a rare treat for the Zhang family.

Xie Jianshe and Zhou Ye sat down, and Uncle Zhang warmly greeted them: "Hurry up and eat. I've already cooled down your grandfather's food. I'll have my second son's wife bring it in later!"

Let it cool down before feeding!

You guys eat first!

"It's just simple food, don't mind it! Just have a bite...hehe..."

Zhou also smiled and said, "Uncle Zhang, you're too kind! It's already very kind of you!"

Xie Jianshe nodded, "Thank you for your hospitality, Uncle Zhang!"

Brother Zhang and Brother Zhang Er looked at Zhou Ye with curiosity, after all, it was rare to see someone with such an appearance in the countryside.

Zhou could only pretend he hadn't seen it.

After the meal, Zhang Da Sao and Zhang Er Sao were cleaning up. In front of everyone, Zhou Ye said to the village chief, "Uncle Zhang, as you know, my grandfather is quite weak now. Although his fever has subsided, he still has some difficulty walking."

It's not convenient for us to pick him up and take him home right now.

so……

We'd like to ask if there are any vacant houses in our village. We'd like to stay here temporarily until my grandfather recovers from his injuries, after which we'll move on.

The village chief was stunned for a moment, then thought it made sense. Falling from such a height, one might break a bone!

It's a miracle that I've woken up now.

It's not realistic to just tell them to leave.

But there really aren't any vacant houses!

Every household is struggling to find housing; any spare house is already occupied!

The only reason we have a family is that our third and fourth children don't live at home; otherwise, we wouldn't have anywhere to house them.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "There really isn't any extra housing in the village. Why don't you stay here for the time being?"

The room where your grandfather lived was where my third and fourth sons lived!

They are not married yet, and they currently work and live in dormitories in the city!

"You two are actually a couple? How about I have my eldest and second eldest sons set up a makeshift bed for you in that room later? You can make do with that."

Zhou Ye and Xie Jianshe exchanged a glance. They were unfamiliar with the place and couldn't stay in the county town's guesthouse forever!

or……

How about giving it a try for now?

Another problem is the issue of food.

Looks like I'll have to buy more food!

Although it's not very convenient to eat and drink together, and we might not be used to the food, that's just how it is, and that's exactly how it is to gain the village chief's trust!

However, the village chief's family has always been well-off, so why has their situation deteriorated so much recently?

What unspeakable change has occurred?

Or is there another reason?

These are things we'll have to discover later.

Xie Jianshe could only agree, "Alright, then I'll trouble you, Uncle Zhang! I'll leave once my grandfather has recovered!"

"No trouble at all! What trouble? You can stay here in peace! If my other two boys come back, I'll let them sleep on the floor in my room."

Hehe...it's nothing serious.

Zhou also gave Xie Jianshe a meaningful look.

Xie Jianshe took out five yuan and handed it over: "Uncle Zhang, this is our accommodation fee! We've already troubled you and your family enough, we can't let you stay for free, can we?"

The village chief would never want it!

"What is this for? You can't take it! You absolutely can't take this! Take it back right now!"

Zhou also comforted him, saying, "Uncle Zhang, we are truly grateful that you saved my grandfather. We feel really bad that we are still bothering you!"

That's only right!

Here you go!

Despite repeated persuasion, the village chief was initially unwilling to accept it, but then, for some reason, he agreed.

"Okay, then I'll take it without hesitation! If you need anything, just tell your aunt, don't be shy!"

Zhou Ye and Xie Jianshe agreed, and only then did the village chief feel relieved enough to go back to his house.

Inside the house, Grandpa ate some steamed buns and drank a bowl of corn porridge, but he couldn't eat anymore!

"Is it done?"

"Well, we might be able to stay for another month. We need to go check on things as soon as possible!" Zhou Ye said, actually quite worried.

Since that quarry is so heavily guarded, and only the village chief is allowed to deliver supplies, it's definitely not easy for an outsider like me to get in!

What should we do?

Don't worry, there's always a way. Things will work themselves out!

Grandpa comforted him!

Xie Jianshe thought for a moment and said softly, "I can take advantage of the time I'm gathering herbs to go and take a look around there!"

Is there a shortcut to get in?

Or perhaps we can find a way to make contact with the people inside!

"Yes, let the construction work take over!"

After Zhou Weiren finished speaking, Zhou also glared at his grandfather!

Zhou Weiren touched his nose and said softly, "You're already married, you're all family, what's there to be afraid of?"

Zhou Ye then looked Xie Jianshe in the eye: "The back mountain of this village is different from the one in our Hongqi Village. The mountain is not high, and it is mostly made of clods of earth."

You must be extremely careful, especially after it has just rained; absolutely do not go up there!

Xie Jianshe laughed and said, "I know! Have you forgotten what I do?"

Zhou Ye was slightly relieved.

At this moment, Xie Jianshe was extremely grateful that he hadn't accepted the organization's offer! Otherwise, how could he have come to be with Xiao Ye without any worries?

However, once things settle down, I still need to find a stable job! That way, I can provide a good life for Xiao Ye and Grandpa!

Inside the main room, the Zhang family members sat together to discuss matters.

It all started with the instructions given by the village chief...

Uncle Zhang said, "You've all heard about what happened earlier. I've already agreed to let them stay here temporarily!"

We need to improve our food in the future!

Otherwise, the guests won't be used to the food!

Aunt Zhang didn't say anything. After all, the old man was in charge of the family, so she just listened.

But just because she has no objection doesn't mean others don't!

"Dad, they're all from out of town. What are they here for? Have you asked them? What if they're bad guys?"

Besides, the family is already facing very difficult circumstances!

"Yes, Dad, even if they gave us some food, it was to thank us for saving their grandfather."

We can't just keep eating and drinking here, can we?

Want some better food? Where are we going to get the food?

These words were spoken by the eldest and second sons.

The eldest son's wife and the second son's wife had just accepted the favor, so they couldn't bring themselves to refuse.

Although I also felt it wasn't quite right!

Thinking about it carefully, there really wasn't enough food. Even if we gave them all the food that the guests brought, it probably still wouldn't be enough.

Uncle Zhang looked at his two daughters-in-law.

"You all think so too?"

The eldest son's wife looked at her husband's face and explained softly, "Sigh... I don't know how to say it."

But I think if they really want to stay here, they'll definitely buy their own food. They won't eat ours.

Look, they specifically bought two pounds of brown sugar!

Although it wasn't said to be for me, why would someone else buy brown sugar when I'm the only one in postpartum confinement?

That's ridiculously expensive!

Brother Zhang looked at his wife with heartache. He knew all too well how hard she was working. He really had no other choice but to work harder in the fields.

Little did he know, besides grains, there was also brown sugar!

this……

But that won't work either. What if the guests feel they've already bought a lot? What if they stay for a month or two?

Where does the food come from?

Although brown sugar is something I need, so are grains!

Three people, supporting three people is no easy task.

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Ersao said, "I think Dad is right, and Sister-in-law is right too! Besides, Dad has already agreed to let the guests stay. If we go out and refuse them, where will Dad's face be?"

"They even bought meat and eggs! We can't just kick them out right after we received their gifts, can we?"

Uncle Zhang nodded: "Second son's wife is right! That makes sense!"

Brother Zhang and Brother Zhang Er exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes!

Life is so hard!

Although the man gave five dollars, how much grain could that buy?

Little did they know that the following month would be the best time of their lives, and they would eat the best food they had ever had!

Even the children have gained several pounds!

How many people in the village are envious, jealous, and resentful!

The village chief made the decision, and all that could be done was to complain privately; nothing could be changed.

When Zhou Ye came out, she could feel the atmosphere, but she also knew that she couldn't blame others.

After all, in this day and age, people can't even afford to eat, so who wants to support several people in their household?

Even if you pay five yuan for the room, what about food and drinks?

Nobody knew that in the afternoon, Uncle Zhang went directly to the county town to find his two sons, asked each of them for a few yuan of their wages, and went to buy grain!

Zhou Ye was still very touched when she found out later!

"Grandpa, Jianshe will stay with you when you go downstairs. I'm going out for a bit."

"Are you going to buy food?"

Xie Jianshe asked.

"Well, there are three of us eating, so we should prepare more food!"

Something flashed in Xie Jianshe's eyes. He knew that Xiao also had secrets, which he could tell from the fact that she could casually take out thousands or even tens of thousands of kilograms of grain.

Grandpa was still trying to comfort her: "Let Jianshe go. It's dangerous for a girl like you to go out alone."

You're unfamiliar with this place, aren't you?

Zhou also glanced at Xie Jianshe, wanting to say something more.

Unexpectedly, Xie Jianshe spoke first: "Grandpa, let me take care of you here. It's a bit inconvenient for me to take care of you myself!"

It wouldn't be good to trouble Uncle Zhang's family!

What do you think?

Xiao Ye is familiar with this place now, and he'll be back quickly after buying the grain! Don't worry!

Xie Jianshe was aware of Zhou Ye's ability to protect herself!

Zhou Weiren sighed. He was lying in bed and couldn't move much. Oh well, it's all a young person's problem. He didn't care anymore.

In the afternoon, Zhou Ye found the old man's donkey cart again, but this time, there were two village women sitting on it.

"Young lady, are you a guest of the village chief's house?"

"Is it the person the village chief saved?"

"Yes, thank you sisters, that's my grandfather. Thanks to Uncle Zhang for saving me, I was able to see my grandfather again!"

Zhou also said gratefully!

"Yes, our village chief is a good man. In recent years, the weather has been dry and the harvest in the fields has been poor."

Especially for the elderly living alone in the village, life is so difficult!

The village chief then distributed his own grain!

Why……

How kind of you!

"That's right, I couldn't do that! But speaking of which, why are you still at the village chief's house?"

Would you like to stay here?

The woman who was speaking looked at her with a hint of gossip and even scrutiny.

Zhou also smiled and said, "I will be staying for a while. My grandfather's health still needs some time to recover, so I will have to trouble the village chief again!"

The woman's face darkened.

"Young lady, it's not that I'm being nosy, but there are three of you! The village chief's family isn't having an easy time either. If you don't contribute anything, who can feed these three mouths?"

You can't take advantage of the village chief's kind-hearted nature!

"That's right, the village chief is the kindest! He's always helped us a lot! Don't be fooled by the fact that he has four sons, he's got plenty of strong men!"

Life is tough!

In previous years, people lived a very different life. They didn't eat meat every meal, but at least they could have meat once a month.

Who can blame us when our son is so successful?

The eldest and second eldest are the most capable, while the third and fourth eldest are both talented and educated!

Why……

Look at us now, we even have to help outsiders!

That was a very pointed remark! But Zhou didn't refute it; he just smiled casually and didn't respond.

The old man rushing to catch the carriage wanted to say something, but Zhou shook his head.

The old man sighed and said, "That's fine then!"

This child is nothing like what they say she's like; she's incredibly grateful, and she bought so much food this morning. Sigh…

When they arrived near the supply and marketing cooperative, Zhou got off the bus.

Everyone will gather here in a little while.

The women in the cart exchanged glances and snorted. The village chief was really going to suffer a loss! They wondered if the grain would be enough to feed his family.

Zhou Ye found a secluded spot, took out a bag of cornmeal from his spatial storage, weighing about fifty pounds.

Half a bag of flour, weighing about 20 kilograms.

In addition, I bought an extra 100 jin of sweet potatoes!

Ten pounds of pork bones, five pounds of lard, five pounds of lotus root, three cabbages, ten radishes, about ten eggplants, and some seasonal vegetables such as peppers were all packed into a large burlap sack. In addition, two boxes of sponge cake and a bag of orange-flavored fruit candies were also taken out.

Everything was ready, and we were just waiting for the old man to arrive.

Sure enough, half an hour later, the old man sauntered over!

"Girl, what's wrong?"

If the morning was shocking, then the afternoon's sight of this grain truly terrified the old man.

It's almost Chinese New Year...

Even the whole family doesn't eat this well during Chinese New Year.

Oh my god!

Who said the village chief is going to suffer a loss? He's going to enjoy a good life!

After putting the food on the old man's donkey cart, Zhou breathed a sigh of relief. This should last for a while, right?

This place is different from Hongqi Village. The soil is not very fertile, so even vegetables don't grow very well!

Due to the drought, every household has very little of the cabbage and radishes they stored up the previous year!

Although there are vegetables in the field, we have to eat them sparingly, since there won't be any vegetables in winter, and we need to store some for winter!

Therefore, even the supply and marketing cooperatives didn't have many vegetables, and they weren't very fresh.

Everything Zhou bought today is a rare item!

One can imagine the huge uproar it would cause if it were taken back to the village chief's house.

The old man called out, without waiting for anyone, "Girl, get in the car, let's go!"

Zhou was surprised: "Don't we need to wait for those two older women?"

The old man chuckled and said, "No need to wait. If there's a suitable car, they can take it back! If not, they can walk back!"

Everyone does it this way! We're used to it!

Zhou nodded. It was better not to ride together; otherwise, once they saw the items, they would ask a lot of questions!

It's so troublesome!

The donkey cart soon arrived at the village chief's house, where Brother Zhang and Brother Zhang Er were getting ready to go to work.

"This is……"

Brother Zhang looked at Zhou Ye with a puzzled expression.

Zhou also said with a smile, "Brother Zhang, Second Brother Zhang, these are some things I bought. Could you please call my husband for me?"

I can't move these!

"Oh? No need, no need... We'll move it!"

"Yes, we'll do it!"

Zhou said gratefully, "Thank you so much!"

When they were moving the food, they were surprised to find that it contained grains, vegetables, large bones, and lard!

I was thoroughly shocked!

My hands were even shaking a little while I was moving it!

Even when times were better, this kind of lard was hard to come by!

Aunt Zhang was busy in the kitchen, thinking about whether to steam some buns, since the family hadn't had such a hearty treat as buns in a long time!

Women can do it, but the workers can't!

But there's only so much food!

She was a little reluctant to part with it...

I was stunned when I saw the things my son brought in!

"What...what is this?"

Zhou walked in with a smile: "Aunt Zhang, this is some grain and vegetables I bought. I'm already embarrassed to be staying at your house."

How dare you eat my food? I know every family is struggling!

As he spoke, he handed two bags of grain to Aunt Zhang: "Auntie, this bag is full of cornmeal, and this bag is less than that of wheat flour."

This bag is full of sweet potatoes!

I went there, but couldn't buy any pork. So I bought some pork bones and lard instead!

I'll render the lard this afternoon! It'll be easier for us to eat it later!

"Oh dear, this won't do, this won't do... It's too precious, too precious!" Aunt Zhang exclaimed in alarm.

"It's nothing, Auntie, it's all just what we should do! Here are some vegetables, put them in the kitchen, we can eat them slowly!"

The weather isn't so hot anymore!

It won't break!

Aunt Zhang's hands trembled when she saw the fresh vegetables!

How am I supposed to even begin?

Seeing the five pounds of lard and ten pounds of large bones made him tremble as he spoke.

"Child...how much money did you spend? You can't do this..."

Zhou also had a solution. He smiled and said, "Auntie, it's like this, my grandfather's health is rather weak, and I want to give him some nourishment!"

Moreover, my in-laws have a good standard of living!

We're used to eating like this!

So, we'll have to trouble you to get through this with us.

I'm so sorry!

Aunt Zhang swallowed hard. This wasn't something that needed to be overcome.

"Plop..."

At a sound, Aunt Zhang looked towards the door; it was her sons' voices.

This is... kind of embarrassing!

"Auntie, shall I render the lard in a bit? We'll make pork crackling and cabbage buns for dinner. I wonder if you'll like them?"

Aunt Zhang opened her mouth and said, "I guess... I think so!"

Upon hearing this, Brother Zhang and Brother Zhang Er suddenly felt a surge of strength throughout their bodies!

If you eat that well tonight, you can definitely do two days' worth of work in one afternoon.

Let's go, let's get to work!

"Mom, we're off to work!"

He spoke with great force...

Zhou took out a box of cakes and handed it to Zhang Ersao after going outside: "Ersao, give this to the children! And these candies, give the children some sweets."

"Oh? For the children?"

Zhang Ersao said with delight.

"Yes, let's give it to the children! I'll go render some lard!"

"Huh? Lard?"

While Zhang Ersao was still in a daze, Zhou smiled and went straight to the kitchen.

"Aunt Zhang, let me sit down!"

Just then, Xie Jianshe suddenly came over.

"Xiaoye..."

"ah?"

"Let me do it! Lard is greasy, and the temperature is high when it's rendered. Be careful not to burn yourself!"

Without saying a word, Xie Jianshe took the kitchen knife.

Zhou smiled but didn't say anything, just watched Xie Jianshe busy himself.

Xie Jianshe is very skilled, which is not apparent from his appearance.

Looking at the young couple, Aunt Zhang smiled and said, "Your name is Xiao Ye? Xiao Ye, you are so lucky!"

"Such a good man, haha..."

Zhou also blushed a little!

Yes, he's a good person!

Soon, a delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen!

Sister-in-law Zhang sniffed inside the house: "That smells like meat! It smells so good! Are we having meat at home today? Isn't that a bit too extravagant?"

After saying that, he put the child down and left the room!

Zhang Ersao was watching the children play when she smelled the delicious aroma and curiously went over to take a look.

"Sister-in-law, does this smell like meat?"

Sister-in-law Zhang came out and asked in confusion.

Zhang Ersao also said curiously, "I smell it too! Come on, let's go take a look!"

When I got to the kitchen, I was absolutely stunned to see that huge pot of lard being rendered!

"Mom, has our family become rich?"

"Yes, Mom, can't we just stop living like this?"

"Pfft... You guys! It was Xiao Ye who bought the lard, five catties! Look at this huge iron pot!"

"It'll last a long time!"

Aunt Zhang almost cried when she talked about this!

"They said they rendered pork lard and then used it to make steamed buns!"

"Oh, really?"

Zhang Ersao exclaimed in surprise.

The children came over, clapping their hands happily, jumping and shouting, "Oh, oh, it's time to eat steamed buns!"

I love pork cracklings the most! Oh... I'm so happy!

"Haha... Time to eat steamed buns! I love it!"

Aunt Zhang's eyes welled up with tears as she looked at the children's happy faces.

That's great!

This is what life should be like!

We really have Xiao Ye's good fortune!

The lard was rendered quickly, filling a whole large jar. I hadn't made this much lard in years.

I'm getting excited just looking at it!

There was quite a bit of pork crackling, almost a whole basin of it!

Aunt Zhang has already prepared the dough, which is a mixture of cornmeal and wheat flour.

Actually, she is a very insightful person. She understands many things. Since the guests are used to good food, why should she be pretentious?

Zhou Ye's steamed buns were quite good, but Xie Jianshe's weren't, so he was told to go and take care of his grandfather first.

She, her two sisters-in-law, and Aunt Zhang were all busy in the kitchen!

Zhang Ersao cooked dinner: stir-fried pork with chili peppers, eggplant with minced garlic, and scrambled eggs! Three dishes—that's the best in the whole village!

"Wow...Mom, are we going to celebrate the New Year?" came the child's innocent voice, making the adults feel both happy and bittersweet!