After dinner, Mu Ziwei pulled Song Guangye and Jiang Zengzhi and took the initiative to take over the cleaning task, and asked Li Tingman and others to help Meng Zhiyu process the herbs.
It’s actually very simple. Just wash off the dirt or other debris on the herbs used for making tea and hang them in the yard to dry.
In addition to some herbs that clear heat and detoxify, Meng Zhiyu specially picked some mint, which is refreshing and can be used to make tea or to make some mosquito repellent water.
After packing up, Meng Zhiyu put some herbs into a small basket and sent it to the Zhou family with his friends.
The Zhou family had finished their meal long ago and were gathered in the yard, working and chatting. Mother Zhou was mending clothes in the moonlight while happily recounting what had happened that day to her family.
Due to health reasons, Zhou's father rarely leaves home, and most people in the village only know about him from their family members.
After hearing what happened, he was a little worried. "I wonder if the old woman from the He family will give up. You should pay more attention to her on a daily basis. Her daughter is a human trafficker. It's impossible for the old woman not to know about it."
Considering her daughter's matter and what happened today, what would she do if she got carried away and kidnapped Meng Zhiqing?
Mother Zhou nodded with her son and daughter-in-law, "Don't worry, San'er and Zhiyu happen to be in the same group, so you can pay more attention."
Zhou Songbai polished a piece of wood skillfully and replied softly, "I understand."
Zhou Ersao expressed her attitude seriously and then asked the question in her heart, "Our third brother also participated in rescuing people, so why did He Pozi only bully Meng Meizi?"
Mrs. Zhou curled her lips and said, "Why else? Bullying the weak and fearing the strong."
Isn't it just that they think Meng Zhiyu is an educated youth from outside the city, without any family around, and is easy to bully?
As they were talking, there was a knock on the door. "Auntie Zhou."
Zhou's mother paused while threading her needle, and when she recognized Meng Zhiyu's voice, she told her daughter-in-law to quickly open the door.
Mrs. Zhou and Mrs. Zhou responded, and Mrs. Zhou stood up first and walked towards the door.
Meng Zhiyu looked at Zhou Ersao who was guarding the door and greeted her with a smile, "Zhou Ersao."
Li Tingman and the others also shouted, and Zhou Ersao smiled and leaned over, "Don't just stand there, come in quickly."
Meng Zhiyu led the way in and greeted Zhou's father and mother. Goudan came back carrying a wooden bench and placed it at Meng Zhiyu's feet. He said seriously, "Sister Meng, please sit down."
Meng Zhiyu was amused by his little adult appearance and patted her head. "Thank you, Goudan."
"You're welcome."
Tiedan, Ludan and Yaya also puffed up their cheeks and each brought a small stool, inviting Li Tingman and the others to sit down. Mu Ziwei gave each of the little ones a piece of candy.
Meng Zhiyu placed the small basket on the wooden table where several people were gathered. "These are herbs for cooling off the summer heat. I've divided them up. One handful can make a big pot. Please give some to Aunt Niu and Aunt Wang tomorrow."
Zhou's mother took the small basket, looked at it, and praised her for being attentive with a smile on her face.
Father Zhou asked the eldest son to pick up some watermelons and pointed at Zhou Songbai, who was busy polishing wood. "There's nothing delicious at home. My third son got some watermelons in the county town. You can have a try."
Meng Zhiyu and the others refused, "Uncle Zhou, no need to take it. We just finished our meal not long ago."
The meal tonight sounded sumptuous, so everyone couldn't stop eating until they were full. Thinking of this, Meng Zhiyu secretly touched his still bulging belly.
Mrs. Zhou advised, "This melon is very sweet. Just try it and have a piece."
Others also tried to persuade them, and Goudan and the other little ones also joined in the fun, "Eat it, eat it, it's very sweet, Goudan/Tiedan wants to eat it too."
Listening to the childish voices and cute words, Meng Zhiyu and the others were overjoyed. Mrs. Zhou and Mrs. Zhou secretly glared at their own children, but the children seemed not to see their mother's eyes, and sat there laughing and swaying.
Meng Zhiyu picked the smallest one among several pieces, took a bite, and it was indeed very sweet, a bit like the watermelons she grew.
"If you have nothing to do tonight, go to bed early. Gather early tomorrow for the meeting. The loudspeaker will notify you when the time comes." After eating the melon, Zhou's mother explained to them what will happen tomorrow so that they can be mentally prepared.
Mrs. Zhou also said, "Those who have hats must wear them. For three meals a day, take your own bowl to the canteen in the brigade to get food. You must also prepare a water bottle, as the brigade does not provide water."
Zhou Ersao added, "It's best to dress warmly and don't be afraid of the heat, otherwise you delicate skinned ones will be in extreme discomfort."
Mrs. Zhou coughed helplessly and said, "It's mainly because of the wheat. It's very irritating. If it gets on your body, your whole body will itch, and some people will even get acne."
Meng Zhiyu and the others listened carefully. These were the experiences of those who had been through it, and if they did it well, they would suffer less.
After leaving Zhou's house and returning to the Youth House, I washed up and lay down on the kang. "Wangcai, I won't exercise from today on."
Wangcai had no objection, "Host, go to bed early. Good night, host."
As he said this, he also sent a moon emoticon.
"Good night." Meng Zhiyu closed his eyes.
The next day, before Meng Zhiyu's alarm clock even rang, she was awakened by the village loudspeaker. "Ding ding ding, everyone from the Shining Star Brigade, get up quickly and gather at the assembly square. We're holding a meeting for the busy farming season."
The captain said this three times before he fell silent.
Today we got up an hour earlier than usual. Everyone was very quiet when washing in the yard. Meng Zhiyu even brushed his teeth with his eyes closed.
After he had tidied himself and went out, he was completely awakened by the cool morning breeze. Meng Zhiyu sniffed and felt that the wind in the morning, noon and evening had different smells.
To put it bluntly, the conference was an encouragement meeting, to cheer everyone up and encourage them to work hard, but everyone just bought into it, except for Meng Zhiyu and his group who remained motionless, and of course Li Qingqing was not included, everyone else was very excited and couldn't wait to get to work in the fields.
At the end of the meeting, the team leader explained the outcome of the treatment of Widow He and Xu Neng. "After the busy farming season, they will be sent to the Northwest farms to open up wasteland. So everyone should be careful about their own behavior and avoid making mistakes that will cost them their lives."
"Also, the brigade needs to select a few cooks. Interested parties can register with the village chief, and then everyone will vote. Starting at noon today until the busy farming season is over, everyone will eat from the same pot."
After the meeting, Meng Zhiyu and his friends rushed back to the educated youth's backyard to make breakfast. Li Tingman asked them to hand in their food and then divided the work. "I'll cook, Xiaoyu will make pancakes, Qingqing will make porridge, and you boys will go get some water and boil it."
The few people had no objection, took out the amount they wanted to eat, and each went about their own tasks.
After eating and drinking his fill, Meng Zhiyu looked straight ahead, went to the toilet, and walked out of the toilet when he heard the loud speaker blaring again, "Members of the Flashing Star Brigade, quickly gather at the assembly square. We are about to begin work."
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