After resting for a while and eating some snacks, Ruan Ruan began paving the path. She started from the edge of the yard, leaving a small gap in the middle for drainage. Then she paved a path about fifty centimeters wide.
"Oh, you're already setting up the stall!" Teacher Shen brought Ruan Ruan a half-basket of vegetables on her back.
"Mom, what brings you here?"
"Auntie, please come in and sit down," Ruan Ruan stood up, preparing to go inside to pour water for Teacher Shen.
"Ruan Ruan, don't bother. I just brought you some vegetables. I won't sit down. I need to go back and dry them so we'll have something to eat in the winter." As Teacher Shen spoke, she walked to the eaves, picked up a winnowing basket, poured the vegetables from her basket into it, and then prepared to leave.
"Thank you, Auntie. I'll accept the vegetables this time. You don't need to send me any next time. Look, we've planted vegetables in both the front and back yards. Haocheng even sowed some seedlings, and they've already grown big. We can eat them in a couple of days." Ruan Ruan looked at how Teacher Shen had sent her a little of each kind of vegetable, enough to last her for a while. It just so happened that the vegetables in her own garden would be ready soon, so she wouldn't need to buy any more vegetables.
"Okay, you can grow your own. That way, it'll be more convenient to get vegetables. If you need any more, just pick them from the field. The vegetables are growing fast these days, and they'll get too old if you don't pick them. Alright, you guys get back to work. I'll head back now."
"Alright, Auntie, take your time going back," Ruan Ruan said as she saw Teacher Shen out. She turned to go back inside, but then she saw Gu Jingming still working and remembered something.
"Oh, by the way, Auntie, Xiaoming will have dinner at my house tonight before going back," Ruan Ruan said to Teacher Shen, who hadn't gone far, before entering the courtyard.
"Sister, I'll finish preparing this for you later. We'll eat at your house instead of yours." Although Gu Jingming was young, he knew that not every family was well-off these days. It wasn't a holiday, so he shouldn't eat at other people's houses. Teacher Shen and the others had taught him that.
"Why go back? Just eat at home. Look, your aunt has brought over your food rations." Gu Jingming's words were perfectly clear to her. She hadn't expected the little boy to be so sensible, so she gestured with her chin to show him the dishes Teacher Shen had brought. The meaning was already very clear.
"Perfect timing. After we finish eating, go with your brother-in-law to collect some more pebbles and pave a path along the way, so it'll be easier to go out on rainy days."
"Okay." Hearing his sister's words, Gu Jingming knew that he had to eat this meal today, whether he wanted to or not. The post-meal digestion arrangements had already been made. How could he not eat?
Seeing that it was almost time, Ruan Ruan got up to cook, leaving Gu Jingming to continue paving the road alone.
Ruan Ruan took out a wild rabbit and the spare ribs that Huo Haocheng had asked the logistics department to buy. She stewed the spare ribs with the radishes that Teacher Shen had sent, and made a braised rabbit with potatoes. She also stir-fried an egg, cucumber, and vegetables. It should be enough for three people.
However, to Ruan Ruan's surprise, Huo Haocheng wasn't the only one who came back with her after get off work. Gu Jinghe and a young man she had never seen before, who looked to be about the same age as them, were also there.
"Ruan Ruan, this is Sun Hongxin, he just returned from a mission," Huo Haocheng introduced to her as soon as he led his men in.
Ruan Ruan carefully examined the person in front of her. He looked rather refined, and his height was similar to Gu Jinghe's, probably a little over 1.8 meters. However, his skin was dark, probably from being on a mission. He looked a lot like Grandpa Sun.
"Sister-in-law, hello. You've been here for so long, and I'm only arriving now. I really shouldn't have done that." Sun Hongxin glanced at Ruan Ruan as he entered the room, then followed Huo Haocheng without looking at her again. This action earned him a lot of points.
He should have come to thank Huo Haocheng when he brought Ruan Ruan to the family compound, but he couldn't get away because of his mission. After finishing his work today, he went to find Huo Haocheng as soon as possible to express his gratitude to Ruan Ruan and thank them for taking care of the Sun family.
“You’re already busy, and I haven’t been able to help much. It was Grandpa, Dad, and Second Uncle who arranged everything. Don’t worry too much about it. Take good care of yourself, and they’ll feel more at ease.” Ruan Ruan really felt that she hadn’t done much to help the Sun family settle down in Hongqi Brigade. It was all her grandfather and father who had taken care of things. Moreover, Grandpa Sun and the others even helped teach the boys to read in their spare time in the brigade. She thought that was good enough.
"Sister-in-law is right. I can't repay Grandpa Huo and the others for their help right now, but I will definitely repay them when I have the chance in the future. I will also take good care of myself."
During this time, Sun Hongxin also spoke with his family by phone. He had heard from his grandfather about the help the Huo and Gu families had given them. He also learned that Ruan Ruan had helped a lot in enabling his younger siblings to integrate into the brigade in a short period of time. Since she said so, he would just keep this kindness in his heart.
"Alright, alright, we're all comrades, why say so much? Little brother, what are you doing?" Gu Jinghe came over today just to keep him company. Huo Haocheng felt that he wasn't very familiar with Sun Hongxin, and he wasn't very good at talking, so he was afraid that people would think they hadn't taken good care of him. So he brought him along too. He just didn't expect that Gu Jingming would be here as well.
“I’m paving the road, can’t you tell?” Gu Jingming said to him as he laid the last stone.
“My brother is right, we’re all family, let’s not talk about this. Xiaoming, wash your hands and get ready to eat.” With that, Ruan Ruan turned around and went into the kitchen. Luckily, Gu Jingming helped her with the chores today, and she wanted to treat him well, so she made a little more than usual. But this amount of food was enough for three people. If there were two more people, especially two big ones, it wouldn’t be enough. So she immediately started making two more dishes.
Huo Haocheng followed her into the kitchen, looked at the dishes already prepared, and saw that Ruan Ruan was still preparing some. He said, "No need to prepare anything else, this is enough. Because Sun Hongxin came so suddenly today, I didn't have time to inform you in advance, and I thought you might not have prepared enough, so I went to the cafeteria to get some food beforehand."
Huo Haocheng poured all the vegetables he brought back from the cafeteria into bowls at home. Ruan Ruan saw that he had bought mostly meat and vegetables, as well as several large steamed buns. With the vegetables she had made herself, it was enough, so she put down the vegetables she was holding and started to put them all on the table.
"Looks like I'm in for a treat today! Come sit down, my sister made this. Let me tell you, you'll want more after you try it!" Gu Jinghe pulled Sun Hongxin to sit down when he saw the braised rabbit Ruan Ruan brought out. Actually, he wanted to help, but seeing Sun Hongxin's awkwardness, he simply pulled him down to talk.
Afterwards, Huo Haocheng and Gu Jingming also helped serve the dishes and set the table.
"Try it and see if my cooking skills have improved." After all the dishes were on the table, Ruan Ruan urged them to eat, mainly because she didn't want Sun Hongxin to be too reserved and was afraid he would be too embarrassed to eat more.
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