"It's okay, it's okay, don't cry. I'll treat you to a meal today. You won't forget me when you have good food in the future, will you?"

Li Fanghua turned her head to wipe away the tears on her cheeks, slapped Zhu Xiaoxiao on the back, and said in a tone of feigned disgust.

"Alright! It's not a big deal, why are you crying here? Go get the dried fish you've been hiding. Don't let Yanzi come out alone!"

Zhu Xiaoxiao exclaimed "Hey!" and jumped up to rummage through her closet.

The others exchanged glances, their eyes filled with smiles.

"My mom sent me a lot of red dates, so I brought some over to make a dish!"

“My family sent me some cookies from Haishi, they’re really delicious, I’ll bring some over too, to eat as a staple food.”

"How about I get some dried meat that my brother sends me, and I can have it as a main dish?"

"Then I..."

"I also……"

Jiang Yiyan watched everyone rummaging through the drawers with a smile, blinking away the tears welling up in her eyes. She then brought out the wood ear mushrooms, cabbage, and other vegetables she had prepared, saying that everyone would eat together later.

As an unloved girl in her family, she was once unfortunate, but now she is lucky because she has met the kindest and most wonderful girls in the world, well, except for the new one.

Feeling out of place in the corner, Qian Yao gritted her teeth in resentment and glared at the girl who was in the same batch of educated youth sent to the countryside as her, but was getting along very well with the older educated youth. She couldn't understand why a bowl of vegetable soup would make them so eager. These older educated youth were so stupid that they didn't even realize they were being schemed against. They didn't even look at how much vegetable soup the girls were offering in exchange for!

The other male educated youth in the dormitory shared the same thought. They all looked at Chen Kai with disbelief as he ate the vegetable soup he had exchanged for, soaking his steamed buns in it. No matter how delicious it was, it was still just vegetable soup. Was it really necessary to exchange so much for it? They couldn't stop him; he was incredibly stupid.

Ignoring the other male educated youths who had different thoughts, Chen Kai ate the familiar spicy and fragrant food, his eyes unknowingly filled with tears.

He misses his mother. It's been five years. He wonders how they are doing at home, whether their lives are better, and whether they have enough to eat.

Gu Zuozuo had just finished cleaning up the mess on the table when the familiar knocking sounded again.

With her brows furrowed and a heavy atmosphere pervading her body, Gu Zuozuo suppressed her impatience and opened the door.

The howling cold wind blew through her thin body into the room, causing the candlelight to flicker and almost go out. The person outside was not one of the educated youth from the settlement that Gu Zuozuo had thought of, but Xie Jinyu, whom she had just said goodbye to.

"Is there something you need?"

Sensing her impatience, Xie Jinyu lowered her eyes in grievance, and her voice became much colder.

"Aunt Ma said you forgot to take what she gave you."

Gu Zuozuo then noticed the large basket he was carrying.

"Thank you, sorry to bother you. Would you like to come in and have a cup of... tea?"

This man came in without even letting her finish speaking. Isn't he being a little too familiar?

Xie Jinyu sat upright on a small stool by the kang (a heated brick bed), his legs together. His tall stature made him look rather aggrieved sitting on the small stool. As soon as Gu Zuozuo handed him the teacup, he tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.

"Hey! Wait! It's a little...hot..."

Without her prompting, Xie Jinyu already knew; his throat felt like it was being scalded.

"Hey! Why are you in such a hurry? Quickly drink some cool water!!"

Gu Zuozuo was almost driven mad by him. Was this man stupid? Didn't he even test the temperature of the teacup before drinking it all in one gulp without spitting it back into the cup? That's manly behavior! Just a bit silly.