The drizzle fell all night long, dripping on the roof tiles, playing a symphony all night long.
This was their first day here to rest, and the three of them tacitly slept in. Usually they would get up at dawn, but today they all slept until 7:30.
This morning, Jiang Yuan prepared breakfast, which included handmade steamed buns and boiled eggs, as well as a bowl of vegetable dumpling soup for each person. The three of them sat at the door of the main room with their bowls in hand to eat breakfast, enjoying the rare tranquility and comfort of this rainy day.
"Jiang Yuan, can you knit a sweater?"
Yun Huaying thought about the wool she bought but had not started knitting yet. She was not very good at knitting. Lin Shan did know how to knit, but she only knew the simplest needlework.
"Yes." Jiang Yuan nodded, swallowed the egg in her mouth, and said confidently, "I'm not bragging, but my knitting skills are the best in my family's tube-shaped building. I knit quickly and beautifully. Last winter, I earned more than ten yuan from knitting sweaters."
"Is your mother good at knitting?" Lin Shan asked her.
"no."
Jiang Yuan shook her head and continued, "My mother only knows the most basic needlework, and our family can't afford wool, so no one has ever worn a sweater."
"Grandma Miao taught me how to knit. She's the same grandmother who taught me to sign the agreement to sever ties with my family. She's from Jiangsu Province and is very skilled in needlework, embroidery, and knitting. She taught me a lot of knitting techniques. When neighbors asked her to help them knit, she'd give me some of the work, so I learned a little bit too."
Since there was a knitting expert in front of her, Yun Huaying naturally asked for help, "Jiang Yuan, I don't know how to knit a sweater, can you help me knit one?"
"Sure." Jiang Yuan agreed without hesitation. "I'll go get some bamboo sticks and draw a few simple diagrams for you. Pick the one you like and I'll start working today."
Yun Huaying liked her straightforwardness. "I won't thank you, nor will I ask for money. After knitting the sweaters, there should be some green yarn left. Add that to the bundle of yellow yarn and we can knit three scarves, one for each of us."
"Wool is so expensive, but I am lucky enough to have benefited from it."
Jiang Yuan has knitted sweaters, scarves and gloves for many people, but she doesn't have any for herself. She feels envious when she sees others wearing beautiful and warm sweaters and pants.
No matter how envious you are, your family conditions are there, and it is impossible for you to own anything.
But now she was knitting a sweater for Yun Huaying, and she gave her wool so that she could knit a scarf for herself. Jiang Yuan was happy from the bottom of her heart.
Lin Xiaolan came over with her daughter in her arms and an umbrella. Seeing the three of them sitting at the door eating breakfast, she smiled and said, "Oh, they're still having breakfast."
"Sister-in-law Xiaolan."
The three of them said in unison. Yun Huaying had just finished her meal, so she stood up and left the bench for her to sit on.
Lin Xiaolan put her umbrella on the open space nearby. Seeing that their bowls contained a vegetable soup she had never seen before and Jiang Yuan holding a steamed bun, she smiled and said, "I heard that the three of you take turns cooking. This breakfast this morning was made by Jiang Zhiqing, right?"
"Yes, I made it. Steamed buns and eggs, and a vegetable noodle soup."
Yun Huaying put away the dishes and chopsticks, took two oranges from the room and gave them to the mother and daughter, and asked, "Sister-in-law Xiaolan, is there anything wrong?"
"Oranges are expensive, so just take one."
Lin Xiaolan gave a small one to her daughter and said, "It's raining today, so we're taking a break. The women in the team wanted to learn how to make noodles, so I asked them to organize it. So I asked Jiang Zhiqing to come over and teach everyone."
Jiang Yuan remembered this, finished the last mouthful of soup, and nodded: "Okay, I'll go with you now."
"No rush, everyone is still busy right now. The rice mill is having a trial run today, and those in our team who need to mill rice and press oil are all packing up. It will take at least another half an hour to finish."
Today is the trial opening day. The team members can grind rice and press oil for free, and there are also tractors to pick them up. Everyone is happy to enjoy this treatment. Every household has moved grain, oilseed, etc. to the doorstep and is waiting for the tractor to come.
In fact, the rice mill employees have been arranged to move the grain, so everyone does not have to stay at home. However, it is a good time to take a break today because it is raining, and they also want to see whether Yun Huaying’s idea has been implemented.
Jiang Yuan and Lin Shan followed Lin Xiaolan to make noodles. Yun Huaying did not go with them. She did not like noisy environments, and she also wanted to process the medicinal herbs that she had brought back from the mountains last time and dried them, so she did not go with them.
"Jacaranda."
When Han Zheng came over in his raincoat, Yun Huaying was processing herbs. Seeing that his pants were soaked from wearing his raincoat and rain boots, she asked, "What are you doing so early in the morning?"
"I was busy the past few days and delayed bringing water to you. I just went to the back mountain to fix the waterway. As long as we carry the bamboo over and stabilize it, we can bring the water to your home."
Seeing him busy with this so early in the morning, Yun Huaying felt a little embarrassed: "This is not urgent, wait until the weather is clear, and we can go and help you."
"I don't need your help with this. You work hard every day. Just rest at home. I will finish it soon." Han Zheng said as he went to move the bamboo in the corner.
Yun Huaying chased after him and asked, "Han Zheng, have you had breakfast?"
"I have eaten. My grandfather has developed the habit of getting up early and making breakfast at dawn."
It was almost nine o'clock now. Thinking that he had been working for several hours, Yun Huaying turned and ran back to the kitchen, took out the steamed buns from the pot, and handed them to him: "I steamed them this morning. Eat two before you go back to work."
Han Zheng wanted to say no, but thinking that she cared about him, he felt happy and took one. "Just eat one."
Yun Huaying didn't force it, and turned back to the house, saying, "Wait a moment, I'll go help you with an umbrella."
"Huaying, no, don't get your clothes wet. There's not much work left. Just tie the bamboo securely. It should be done in half an hour. Pick up that old water jar and place it where I told you last time to collect the water."
"Okay." Yun Huaying responded.
Han Zheng worked quickly and brought the water back in less than half an hour and sent it directly to the water tank outside the kitchen.
The water that had just been brought back was a bit turbid and contained a lot of impurities, but after settling for a while it was good enough to be used for washing vegetables and clothes, which also saved them a lot of time in fetching water.
Seeing that she was the only one at home, Han Zheng asked, "Where are the two of them?"
"Sister-in-law Xiaolan asked Jiang Yuan to come over and teach everyone how to make noodles. Lin Shan went with her."
Yun Huaying had just made a pot of ginger soup with some brown sugar. After he took off his raincoat, she offered it to him: "Drink a bowl of ginger and sugar water to dispel dampness and drive away the cold."
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