557
The two then split up to queue and buy groceries!
It's just as crowded as before!
He Tiantian missed the free market terribly, where she could buy whatever she wanted as long as she had money. No need to get up so early, no need for the crowds, and no need for all sorts of complicated tickets.
This is why He Tiantian prefers Qijia Village to Nanshi.
In Qijia Village, you only need to buy a small amount of industrial products. The food mainly comes from the vegetables grown on your family's small plot of land, as well as game hunted from the back mountain and fish caught from the river.
There's no need to go to the supply and marketing cooperative and queue up so early just for a little meat, a few radishes, or cabbages.
By the time the two finished shopping and got home, it was already past nine in the morning.
He Tiantian made radish soup, and there were leftover shortbreads from yesterday at home. She just needed to bake them on the stove and they would be ready to eat. She didn't make breakfast on purpose.
We're having a dinner party tomorrow night, but we haven't prepared everything yet. We need to go shopping tomorrow morning.
After two days of effort, I finally bought everything.
He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie prepared in advance, picking and washing vegetables and making seasonings beforehand.
He Tiantian was quite lucky; she actually bought a pig's head.
This is much more cost-effective than buying meat directly; one pig's head can yield a lot of meat.
Two pig ears make a dish; pig tongue makes another dish, and you can also get a lot of pig head meat.
He Tiantian took a brush and scrubbed the pig's head in the large basin over and over again. Then she found two tweezers and said, "Come on, don't just stand there, help me pluck the pig hair."
Holding the tweezers, Huo Yingjie looked like he was about to cry.
However, since his wife had spoken, he had no choice but to obey!
"It would be better to buy pork. There are so many hairs on the pig's head, it's hard to clean them!" Huo Yingjie whispered, especially feeling sorry for He Tiantian when he saw her little hands that were red from the cold.
"It's a bit of a hassle, but once you get it right, you'll find it delicious," He Tiantian said with a smile, quickly plucking the feathers with tweezers.
After cleaning, put the pig's head in a large pot, add water, throw in a spice packet, and start braising the pig's head.
This is He Tiantian's specialty dish, and it's also the skill she used to earn money to support herself in her previous life.
Previously, she was worried that her past life would repeat itself, so she kept avoiding the thought of doing those things. But now it's different. She has a completely different life from her past life, and the things from her past life are no longer a shadow in her heart; they don't have much of an impact on her anymore.
She can now face her past life with equanimity.
When Jiang Lifang and Huo Zhekun returned in the evening, they smelled the aroma. Although the flavors hadn't fully developed yet, the food was already cooked.
He Tiantian cut off a large piece with a knife, then cut it into small pieces to serve as a meat dish for dinner, along with stir-fried radish.
"Mmm, it tastes really good." Jiang Lifang took a bite of the pig's head meat. "Sweetie has learned a lot of cooking skills in Qijia Village!"
“Yes, that’s my second hometown,” He Tiantian said with a smile. “I can cook other things too, but there’s a shortage of supplies right now. I’ll cook delicious food for you all when things are more plentiful.”
“We are truly blessed,” Huo Zhekun said. It was rare to have food suitable to accompany drinks, so he took out some wine, and Huo Yingjie took a couple of sips.
It took eight hours, starting in the afternoon, to braise the pig's head.
He Tiantian asked Huo Yingjie to take the pig's head out and put it in a basin to dry.
The next day, He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie were busy all day, steaming buns in advance and sealing them as their staple food. Finally, everything was done, and they just waited for the time to start cooking.
That evening, Huo Zhekun, accompanied by Secretary Guo and six other people, entered the courtyard.
He Tiantian brewed some tea and had Huo Yingjie bring it in.
Jiang Lifang also left work early and came home to cook with He Tiantian.
After preparing a meal, He Tiantian changed into clean clothes and went out with Huo Yingjie to meet some of her father-in-law's friends and colleagues.
This was a private gathering, not a wedding banquet; it was just to introduce two newlyweds to everyone.
Since these people had come, they couldn't come empty-handed, so they gave He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie a gift as a greeting.
They were very happy to see that Huo Yingjie had recovered his health and even got married. They no longer had to worry that if their leader got into trouble, their future would be affected.
After drinking and eating, we moved to the living room to discuss some political matters.
Huo Yingjie accompanied them on the side. Because he was a junior and everyone had come because of his wedding, Huo Yingjie was in charge of entertaining the elders.
The guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely, and at 9:30 p.m., everyone went home.
In front of his wife and son, Huo Zhekun praised He Tiantian again, saying, "Everyone who came today has nothing but praise for Tiantian."
"That's right, she doesn't even know whose daughter-in-law she is," Jiang Lifang laughed. "By the way, we're not holding a big celebration here anymore, partly because of the tense situation. My parents-in-law are waiting anxiously in Yanjing. When are Yingjie and Tiantian going to Yanjing?"
"Let's take the train tomorrow night," Huo Zhekun said. "The sooner we go, the sooner we'll come back."
“That makes sense,” Jiang Lifang said. “Shuping is due to give birth in early February, so Tiantian should go back early and come back sooner rather than later, so she doesn’t have to rush on the way.”
Hearing her mother-in-law say that, He Tiantian was deeply moved!
She had thought of several ways to tell her mother-in-law that she wanted to go back to Qijia Village.
Unexpectedly, before she could even speak, Jiang Lifang had already spoken.
Sincerity begets sincerity.
"Hmm." Huo Zhekun nodded. "Yingjie, now that you're married and healthy again, what are your plans for the future?"
Huo Yingjie had previously discussed with He Tiantian the idea of going to university in Nanshi, so that he could be with his parents and wife instead of being separated. As for those high-tech projects, he didn't want to pursue them for the time being.
"I want to review and prepare for the college entrance exam," Huo Yingjie said. "Tian Tian has been studying hard all these years. We can take the exam for a university in Nanshi together, so we can be with our parents and finish our studies at the same time."
"Huh?" Huo Zhekun was taken aback. "You don't need to take an exam to get into university now, you can just get a recommendation!"
Huo Yingjie smiled and said, "You're talking about a university for workers, peasants, and soldiers, right?"
“Yes, the country only recruits students from worker-peasant-soldier universities now.” Huo Zhekun nodded, and the spots are extremely difficult to obtain. Even as the vice mayor, he might not be able to get a spot.
“Those were all recommended, without rigorous assessment, and their quality varied greatly. Some of the worker-peasant-soldier college students have already graduated and started working, and the drawbacks have become apparent. At the same time, our country will need many truly talented people in the future, so open recruitment is imperative,” Huo Yingjie explained to his father.
"Really?" Huo Zhekun was skeptical.
“What can’t we do! Our country is vast and populous. How to manage it and how to develop it are urgent issues,” Huo Yingjie said. “Everyone understands the current situation of the country, but no one is willing to change it, and no one dares to change it.”
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