Jiang Aiguo and Sun Shengtian also joined in: "Wow! This is even more lavish than the New Year! Isn't this that (cannot be written)? I was lucky enough to eat it once two years ago, it was so delicious I almost bit my tongue off!"

Su Tong didn't speak, but Shen Heping said, "Let's eat something together!"

The two of them took chopsticks without any hesitation and sat down.

Sun Shengtian suddenly looked at the Moutai in Su Tong's hand: "Oh my! Moutai! I've never even known what Moutai tastes like!"

As he spoke, he tried to get his hands on it.

Su Tong quickly tucked it into his pocket: "It's the middle of the day, let's not drink!"

Jiang Aiguo interjected:

"that is!

Who drinks this Moutai themselves?

Su Tong, I heard they're electing a new brigade leader in a couple of days!

Why don't you give this bottle of wine to the newly elected brigade leader and ask him to take good care of our educated youth compound!

They also looked after your sister and your two friends, isn't that great?

Su Tong glanced at him but didn't reply. Instead, he turned around and pulled up a chair for Su Ruyi: "Ruyi, sit down and eat!"

"I've already eaten." Su Ruyi stepped aside and asked, "What happened in the front yard?"

"Guo, the educated youth, and Shu, the educated youth, had a fight! Shu didn't cook for her, so she threw a handful of soil from her private plot into the noodle soup she had prepared!"

Ji Xuchang shook his head and said, "The private plot was just fertilized yesterday! Why would such a spoiled young lady with such a temper come to the countryside?"

Jiang Aiguo remained silent, holding his chopsticks, waiting for Su Tong and the others to start eating first.

Sun Shengtian couldn't wait any longer, so he grabbed a venison meatball with his hand and secretly chewed it.

Shen Heping said, "Hu Zhiqing might still be fetching water! He just washed the big pot three times! I'll call him over!"

As he spoke, he called Hu Zhenbo back from the front yard.

At that moment, Guo Tianya's face suddenly flashed across the backyard doorway.

Immediately afterwards, everyone heard her shrill voice: "Sister Chuntao, Su Zhiqing has brought back food and wants you, me, and Shengnan to come and eat! Shulan, don't think we can't eat without you!"

The people at the table looked at each other in bewilderment. Sun Shengtian, who had only chewed half of the meatball, dared not chew any more and kept it in his mouth without moving it.

A moment later, Guo Tianya led Wang Chuntao and Ai Shengnan in, each carrying a stool.

Seeing the delicious dishes on the table, everyone's eyes lit up immediately.

Wang Chuntao blushed and said, "How could I possibly accept this? Hey, excuse me!"

As he spoke, he squeezed the stool between the two male educated youths.

The stone table in the backyard couldn't seat so many people, so the male educated youth had to move to the back.

In this way, the small encirclement became large, and everyone had to stretch their arms to reach the food.

Just as everyone was about to pick up their chopsticks, Su Ruyi said coldly, "Wait a minute, I'll go call Shu Zhiqing."

Guo Tianya rolled her eyes: "Why call her?! It just makes it seem like she can cook!"

Su Ruyi glanced at her but didn't say anything, and walked outside.

A minute later, she came in carrying Shulan's stool in one hand and leading Shulan, whose eyes were red and swollen, with the other.

Walking up to Guo Tianya, Su Ruyi grabbed Guo Tianya by the collar and pulled her to the door with one hand: "Please leave."

"Everyone else can eat it, but I can't?" Guo Tianya's face darkened instantly.

“Yes,” Su Ruyi replied coldly.

"Why?!" Guo Tianya's eyes instantly reddened. "Su Zhiqing, you're creating division!"

"Don't try to pin this on me. I paid for this food, and if I say you can't eat it, you can't eat it!" With that, Su Ruyi grabbed Guo Tianya's stool and threw it outside the yard. "Please leave."

Guo Tianya's tears were already streaming down her face. She looked at Jiang Aiguo on the table and said, "Brother Aiguo, let's go! We won't eat her food! I have cookies in my room!"

Jiang Aiguo didn't even look up, focusing on wiping the chopsticks with his clothes, as if he hadn't heard anything.

Guo Tianya then looked at Hu Zhenbo: "Brother Zhenbo..."

Hu Zhenbo was so angry he laughed: "Am I that cheap? And you're even waiting in line? Guo Tianya, let me tell you, from now on we're nobody to each other, so don't fucking disgust me again!"

Seeing that neither of them moved, Guo Tianya stomped her foot, covered her face, and ran away.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Su Ruyi had already settled Shulan into her seat and handed her a pair of chopsticks: "Eat quickly! You are the hardest working person in our educated youth settlement, so you should take the first bite!"

"Yes, Shu Zhiqing, you go first!" Everyone agreed.

Shulan stopped crying and started laughing. She picked up a piece of potato from the potato and toad stew, chewed it a couple of times, and her eyes lit up: "So fragrant! So tender!"

When we ate this dish at the state-run restaurant, the head chef said that this was not the season for eating frogs, as they don't have oil or eggs in their bellies. So they had to be artificially raised for a period of time before they could be cooked. They were just lucky to be there at the right time.

Everyone picked up their chopsticks, their chopsticks moving in a dense, rain-like motion towards the dishes on the table.

Shulan was still worried about her pot: "There are still cornbread buns in the pot, I'm afraid they'll burn!"

Su Ruyi stopped her, saying, "I'll go get it!"

As she spoke, she turned off the fire and ladled a large basin of cornbread from the pot.

When the bowls were served, everyone took two.

Even the steamed buns tasted much better than usual with these dishes!

Shulan also picked up two steamed buns: "Ruyi, I've already reserved Dr. Jin's meal! But when I asked Li Wang to deliver it, he wasn't home."

Su Ruyi said, "Dr. Jin had lunch with me at noon, so don't worry about him. He'll have food tonight too. I'll bring him food tomorrow morning!"

Shulan nodded and began to eat with peace of mind.

This lunch, which was devoured in a flash, ended with Guo Tianya wailing and crying in the front yard.

After everyone finished eating, she finished crying.

Each lunchbox was wiped clean with cornbread, so it hardly needed to be washed.

The group sat on the stools, reluctant to get up for a long time, still savoring the subtle flavors of each dish.

Shulan even took out a small notebook, seemingly writing something down.

After finishing their meal, Wang Chuntao volunteered to wash the lunchboxes, while the others gradually went to work.

After Shen Ji and the others left, they moved the packages that had been in their room to Su Ruyi's room.

Another flurry of activity ensued.

Su Tong waited until she finished tidying up before coming over and asking, "Ruyi, what exactly is this 'Barefoot Doctor Certificate'?"

"Fourth Brother, I've actually been dreaming about learning medicine from an old man with a white beard. Yesterday, the old man said I had completed my apprenticeship and that I was destined to heal and save lives. Then, that very noon, I met Grandpa Jin Dachun..."

Su Ruyi said, "I know you may not believe me, but it is indeed true."

"Old man with a white beard? Ruyi, I believe you!"

After Su Tong finished speaking, he let out a long sigh of relief. "Ruyi, I've always known that you would have some extraordinary encounters. In fact, I've always suspected that Su Manao's red agate pendant is yours!"