Unable to resist being sarcastic, she said, "Does Comrade Ruan need anyone to help him? Didn't you fight for it all yourself?"

Ruan Xianxian smiled modestly and quickly changed the subject, "Everyone should try my cooking, especially the steamed buns stewed with small fish, a local specialty."

Fish and feed are cooked in the same pot; the small fish are delicious, and the steamed buns are soft on top and crispy on the bottom.

After a glass of wine, the group started eating, especially the brigade leader who hadn't had meat in a long time. He took a bite of food and a sip of wine, letting out a long, comfortable sigh.

"Where did Xiao Ruan learn her cooking skills? This is authentic Northeastern cuisine."

With restrictions on the number of livestock raised, every household was short of meat. He hadn't eaten such an authentic braised meat dish in many years. During holidays and festivals, when he finally had meat, he always made sure his children ate it first.

This taste is so delicious, it brings back so many memories!

Mu Xia nudged Ruan Xianxian's arm. "Want to eat together? I'll take care of everything after I start the fire and do the washing. You just need to cook."

Everyone perked up their ears, including Chu Li.

Ruan Xianxian looked her up and down. "Eat with me, and you won't lose weight anymore?"

She had noticed that Mu Xia not only insisted on running and squatting every day, but also ate whole grains whenever she had the money. When asked, she said she was trying to lose weight.

He got a lot of criticism from the villagers for this, saying, "Why are you trying to lose weight? They can't even eat their way to that size; they're just crazy."

Before Mu Xia could answer, she took a sip of her drink and said casually, "No way! I'm waiting for someone else to feed me. Don't even think about it, dream on, no way!"

If it doesn't match, it doesn't match!

Despite being rejected, Mu Xia didn't feel anything. Ruan Xianxian's straightforward and unpretentious personality suited her quite well.

She understands if someone is unwilling but then finds a legitimate reason to refuse, but she doesn't really like it.

It's a little funny to see her trying to pull off a mature, sophisticated look despite her short arms and legs.

Before the smile could even widen, worry crept in again...

"I've built the stove, but my cooking skills are just so-so that it's barely edible. You get the meat, and I get the bran. How am I supposed to live like this?"

Wu Xueliang's eyes lit up, and without a second thought, he betrayed his brother. "Isn't that simple? Comrade Mu, go find Chu Li! Chu Li's skills are no worse than Xianxian's."

He had only eaten communal meals for a few days since he was sent to the countryside, and he had no idea how his brother had managed during the past six months since he went to the countryside early!

He couldn't stand it for even a month!

Chu Li toyed with his wine glass, and when he saw Mu Xia looking over, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Alright!"

This round-faced woman didn't have the obsessive, clingy look he found repulsive. It wouldn't be bad if they could become dining buddies.

After being given some pointers by the two men, he wanted to build his own stove, but unfortunately he arrived too late and there was no room left in the kitchen.

Wu Xueliang exclaimed excitedly, "Great! Finally, we don't have to eat those inedible coarse grain cakes that could be used as weapons anymore!"

The two looked at him simultaneously and said in unison, "What's it to you?"

After they finished speaking, they looked at each other, both feeling a little awkward.

Wu Xueliang was on the verge of tears.

Finally, the three of them decided that Chu Li would cook, Wu Xueliang would fetch water, gather firewood, and wash the dishes, and Mu Xia would be in charge of eating.

Ruan Xianxian, who was just watching the drama unfold: ? ? ?

Did I... did I miss a chance to be fed by someone?

Seeing her regretful expression, as if she had lost ten thousand dollars, the three of them laughed. Mu Xia looked like the wolf in sheep's clothing who had tricked Little Red Riding Hood.

"Xianxian! Want to join? It's not too late!"

Ruan Xianxian, who was about to nod, came to her senses and shook her head vigorously. Mu Xia was assigned less work because she couldn't cook. If she could cook, she would definitely be enslaved by Chu Li.

This mountain bandit wouldn't spare her any enslavement just because they came from the same compound.

The group chatted and laughed, while the team leader showed off his food and watched the children chat and laugh.

Mu Xia glanced at Chen Zhaodi, who was quietly eating, and sighed inwardly.

The backyard was filled with wine, meat, and laughter, a stark contrast to the miserable scene of people in the front yard munching on coarse grain bread in the cold wind.

Today was supposed to be Ruan Xianxian and Wu Xueliang's turn to cook, but the former just announced their breakup, and the latter was invited to the banquet.

Just now, people in the front yard almost got into an argument over who should be in charge of dinner tonight.

In the end, no one was willing to do it, so they heated up the leftover coarse grain pancakes from lunch and ate them anyway.

The aroma of meat wafting from the backyard was so enticing that my nose could hardly take it all in.

Liu Xiatian was the first to throw down the dry biscuit she was holding, saying "I'm not eating it" and turning back.

"Who is she giving attitude to?" Taishan shouted.

Wenrou, who went to the river to "play the victim and act pitiful, but no one paid attention, so she simply rinsed her clothes in the water and considered them clean," sat at the table and sighed softly.

"It's one thing if she's with me, but Comrade Ruan has misunderstood me. I thought that since she invited you to dinner, she would at least invite you out of respect for me. Sigh! I overestimated her!"

"Pshaw! Who cares?"

Ye Gen kept swallowing his saliva while saying he didn't care.

Seeing everyone looking at him with amusement, Ye Gen became angry and embarrassed, "What are you looking at? Ruan Xianxian is just a bad element who is not loved by her grandfather and was sent down to the countryside by her grandmother."

She hasn't been back for three days. She must have gone to the farm to see her grandmother, who's a reformatory student. Humph! Like father, like son. Let's see how long she can be so smug.

"How did you know her grandmother was a bad element and was undergoing reform through labor at a nearby farm?" Ye Guo was surprised. Why didn't his younger brother tell him about something so important earlier?

Ye Gen said smugly, "I'm classmates with her cousin, and her cousin told me all this before I left."

Ye Guo and Wen Rou exchanged a glance, something flickering in their eyes, and then they both lowered their heads at the same time.

The lights in the front yard were turned off early, and the lively atmosphere in the back yard had subsided.

Lying in bed in her new home, Ruan Xianxian felt more relaxed than ever before. The Zhang family had delivered the kang cabinet and other furniture before dinner, and now they were all in their places in the room.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!