After they got familiar with each other, Yu Xiangan was no longer so wary of Lin Chuanbai. This time, she was in the mood to make a cake and gave some to him.
Although Lin Chuanbai doesn't look like one, he is actually a person who likes sweets. The soft and fragrant cake becomes a great enjoyment as soon as it enters his mouth.
He was very impressed. There were cakes in the county town, but those cakes required special tickets. He bought one once to satisfy his craving, but it was nothing compared to this.
If you want to compare, what I bought seemed like discounted items from a roadside cake shop, while what is in my mouth now is the enjoyment you can only get from a well-known Western pastry restaurant.
What kind of godly chef is this?
He can cook Chinese food and Western pastries so well!
He casually thought of Lin Duzhong's birthday which would be coming soon.
"My grandfather's birthday is next month. Can you help me make a cake? He likes to eat soft things when he is old." When it comes to softness, cake is unbeatable.
Of course, Lin Chuanbai also knows that it is not easy to make cakes now. Without egg beaters, it must be very tiring to do it by hand, so he said, "I already have the information about the ginseng you want. You don't have to wait too long."
Next month, that's fine, "How big do you want to make it?"
"One pound, two pounds would be best. It depends on you. I can provide flour, eggs, and milk powder, but I don't have jam."
What he is eating now is grape jam cake.
He had no grape jam.
"No problem." Yu Xiangan accepted it.
"What other cakes can you make?" Lin Chuanbai was tempted by this piece of cake.
In addition to fruit cake, he also likes chocolate cake, matcha cake, black forest cake...
He counted his favorite types one by one in his mind. The more he counted, the more difficult it seemed to him to eat them now.
Let’s just talk about chocolate. It takes a lot of chocolate to make a cake.
If he wants to buy it, he has to go to the city specially.
Yu Xiangan found that she had to give Lin Chuanbaijia another label. She never expected that some people who looked unapproachable and aloof actually not only liked to eat, but also liked to eat desserts and cakes. Of course, she definitely didn't think this was a bad thing.
As a chef, she hopes that everyone can experience the beauty of various foods, but how to say it? Yu Xiangan thought about it, maybe this is called contrast cuteness.
The thought of a grown man who usually keeps his face serious actually likes sweets and eats them secretly behind other people’s backs is a bit... cute.
At this time, Lin Chuanbai seemed to have thought of covering up a little bit, and he coughed twice, "I don't have any other meaning, I just sighed."
Yu Xiangan nodded, "Yes, you just want to eat, that's all, it's nothing."
She spoke seriously without smiling, but Lin Chuanbai felt something was wrong. However, it seemed that there was nothing wrong with what she said.
He had to change the subject: "My grandfather's birthday is on the 18th of next month, there's no rush. If you make a cake at another time, please leave one for me if you can."
Since she already knows that I like to eat cake, just be honest. It’s nothing. Just like she said, it’s nothing.
He emphasized in his mind.
Before, the only one who knew that he liked sweets was the old Taoist priest who adopted him. Now there is one more person, so it’s no big deal.
This time, Yu Xiangan made a lot of cakes. In addition to giving some to Lin Chuanbai, she also took some back home.
Seeing the cake, Yu Qingshan couldn't help but asked, "Did you buy this?"
This is really not cheap.
Yu Xiangan immediately shook his head: "No, no, this is something I came up with myself. I thought about it for a long time and finally made it this time. Let's try it and see if it tastes good."
Yu Qingshan looked at the beautiful cake and said, "I remember that it takes a lot of ingredients to make this. You used eggs, flour, sugar, jam, and milk."
Zhao Qiaoniang looked at the cake and her heart trembled. If so many good things were used in it and it didn't taste good, how could that be fair?
She spent too much. If it were her daughter, she would definitely talk to her.
Yu Xiangan knew what Yu Qingshan wanted to say, so he said it in advance, "Dad, I know that this thing takes a lot of materials to make, but you see I have only made it once in such a long time, and we haven't tasted it, so let's all try it and have a taste of freshness. You still don't trust me, I know my limits."
Yu Xiangan was not surprised by Yu Qingshan's attitude.
She understood that cake was too much of a luxury for people at that time. It was okay once in a while, but if it was often done, she would be considered a spendthrift. There was no other way. When the current survival instinct had not been fully satisfied, pursuing a higher level of enjoyment would be crossing the line and losing one's sense of propriety.
Yu Qingshan said that she was doing it for her own good.
What Yu Qingshan was about to say was blocked by her. He sighed, "Xiao An, I know you want us all to have a taste, but remember your words, there won't be a next time, just this time, save the money, you will need it in many places in the future. This month, don't buy anything for your family, we don't need it at home." Save the money yourself.
Yu Xiangan was very obedient: "Yes, yes, just this once, come on, come on, stop talking, try it."
She divided it per person, and together with my eldest brother and his wife, each person got one piece.
Yu Mingjie took it carefully, took a bite, and his eyes narrowed immediately. As soon as it entered his mouth, it melted in his mouth, with a rich taste.
…It turns out there are such delicious things in this world!
Yu Xiangju was also stunned.
"Fifth sister, this cake is so delicious. When I start working and earning money, I want to eat this every day!"
Yu Xiangan calculated the years. When he grows up, if he is 18 years old, the reform and opening up will have been going on for several years. It will be much easier to eat cake than it is now. It is not too difficult to eat it every day. So she touched his head and set a lofty goal for him. "So you have to study hard and can't be lazy, understand? The more you learn and the more you know, the greater your chance of making money. This cake is not cheap, you can't buy it without money."
Yu Xiangju clenched his fist and said, "Fifth sister, I am not lazy. I have done all the math problems you asked me to do before, and I will not be lazy in the future."
Yu Mingjie nodded frequently, "I'm studying too, I'm making money too, and we can eat cake every day from now on! Let's eat together!"
Looking at the two little ones with great ambitions, Yu Qingshan suddenly felt that it was nothing for his daughter to waste this opportunity. Looking at the two little ones, her enthusiasm was aroused.
It’s good to learn more knowledge. He didn’t have the opportunity to learn at first. Now that the child has the conditions, he naturally wants to learn.
Don't believe those bullshit words about learning being useless. Let him see if he can't read a single word and can't understand what's written on the contract and doesn't even know he signed an indenture. The more he knows, the more confident he will be.
I don't know what's wrong with the world today that makes teachers so panic-stricken, but I believe this is temporary. Sooner or later, these knowledgeable and capable people will return to a respected position.
If universities are restored at that time and my child takes the college entrance examination and becomes a college student, then his life will be worth it.
Thinking of this, he worked even harder on making paper.
The brick-making business in Manchang is going at a rapid pace, so he can't fall too far behind.
Because they heard that the situation there was good, they specially picked a time to go back to the Red Star Brigade to check the situation.
Because it was not the right holiday, only Yu Qingshan, Zhao Qiaoniang, Yu Xiangan and the two little ones went back this time.
Now, an open space near the water of the Red Star Brigade has been fenced off with bamboo. Two dogs are kept here to remind their owner if any strangers break in. This is now the most heavily defended area of the entire Red Star Brigade.
The process of making bricks is not allowed to be watched by others, especially those from other villages.
The educated youth were also kept out. For the villagers, although they had come here to work in the countryside and earned work points like everyone else and shared food at the end of the year, they had only been here for a short time and they all wanted to go back. Their hearts were not here, and they would not trust these people.
Sometimes they are very exclusive.
Because the preliminary work was well prepared, the bricks came out very quickly.
Some people have applied to exchange their work points for houses, which are already being built.
There are not many requirements for building a house at this time. Just level the ground, lay the bricks one by one, and then seal the roof.
Judging from the current situation, it can be completed next month.
When they came this time, Yang Huili was already very enthusiastic, and now she was even more enthusiastic towards them, especially towards Yu Xiangan. She helped her son-in-law find a job, and now her daughter is very strong in her husband's family. Before, her mother-in-law had some complaints, and her sister-in-law was not easy to get along with, but now she wants to worship her daughter, all thanks to Xiao An.
For this purpose, she specially asked her brother from her mother's side to get a lot of mountain specialties for her, as she liked to eat them.
Yu Xiangan felt pressured by her enthusiasm. It was too enthusiastic.
Yu Xiangan felt that she needed to hide away, so she followed Xu Xiaojuan to dig wild vegetables.
It is spring now, and many wild vegetables have sprouted. The two little guys followed us, but they said they were going to dig wild vegetables, but in fact they were just going to play. They were digging for a while and then they ran away. When I looked again, I didn’t know where Yu Mansheng was either. I guessed he took the two little ones and ran away.
Many people dig wild vegetables at this time. It is the time when there is a shortage of food, and wild vegetables have become the main dish on many people's tables.
When people dig wild vegetables, they basically choose those that are nearby. When the ones nearby have been dug up almost all, they will go to deeper places. But they will not go too deep as they may encounter dangers in deep places. However, if people go in groups, they will feel safer.
Yu Xiangan followed Xu Xiaojuan and picked wild vegetables with baskets. There was no doubt that they became the center of attention after they came here.
An auntie over there said, "Xiao An, you're back. Come here, this one is young."
Then a grandmother called her over there and said, "Come here, this wild vegetable is the best for making soup, and it can also reduce internal heat. If you dry it in the sun, you can use it to make herbal tea in the summer. It's very useful. I still have some dried last year at home."
There was a sister-in-law over there calling her, "Sister Xiao An, I have dug a lot here, enough, come over and I will give you some."
Yu Xiangan was frightened and ran away after digging for a short while. She couldn't handle such enthusiasm.
She knew that helping her cousin find a temporary job would definitely affect some villagers' views of her, but this... she was not worthy of it.
Moreover, such opportunities are not easily available. This time, she felt that she was extremely lucky, as someone happened to be promoted and a temporary worker position was vacant.
There are usually no such good things.
Xu Xiaojuan looked at her fleeing and burst out laughing. She did not feel unfair as some people said. Her husband had been a temporary worker for half a year and earned a lot of money, although it was all with her mother-in-law. Later, her mother-in-law gave them 10 yuan for their private use, and her husband gave her the 10 yuan for safekeeping.
Moreover, in comparison, if this job was given to her man, then the couple would have to live apart forever, and she couldn't go to the city to work as a temporary worker. She also wanted a child, and living apart forever was not a good thing. Now he was back, and it seemed that his future would not be too bad.
What else is she not satisfied with?
Now their family is very powerful in the village and respected by many people. Her husband is called "Master" wherever he goes.
She felt that these days were very promising, but the child still didn't come. She was a little anxious. Why didn't the child still come? Was there something wrong with her body?
Thinking of this, Xu Xiaojuan, who was originally smiling, suddenly couldn't smile anymore. She wondered whether she should see a doctor. If there really was a problem, she could get timely treatment. If not, it would make her feel at ease. Anyway, she had ten dollars in her hand, which should be enough.
If she wanted to see a doctor, where should she go? If she went to the brigade, she was not sure about the doctor's skills. Besides, there were too many people. If word got out, people might say she couldn't have children. She should go somewhere farther away. Should she go back to her parents' home? But the barefoot doctors in her parents' home were worse than those here. It would be better for her to go to the city.
If she still doesn't get pregnant after a while, she'll find a reason to go to the city to see a doctor.
She made up her mind here, and Yu Xiangan, who was fleeing in a panic, turned and saw Ruan Chenxi who was digging wild vegetables.
Ruan Chenxi was very surprised to see her, "Xiao An, here, do you want to pick wild vegetables? This place is nice." She generously shared the piece of wild vegetables with her.
This place was quite remote, with only her and a few other female educated youth there. They were not as enthusiastic as those in the village and were basically quite reserved. Even though they really wanted to establish a good relationship with her, only Ruan Chenxi took the initiative.
Yu Xiangan squatted down and started digging. "How about you joining us there now?"
"It's fine. I eat with them, prepare my rations for them, and help with the cooking. It's fine. Everything is fine."
She emphasized it twice, and Yu Xiangan understood. That is, she should not have noticed that someone was following her secretly.
She glanced at the female educated youth who were at a distance. If she stayed with the educated youth outside, and there were so many people there when she returned, her safety would indeed be greatly improved.
"That's good." If there was really something, Yu Shunwen should have told her. Since he didn't tell her, she guessed that was the case.
Captain Yu Shunwen is very diligent in his duties. Even if he has no evidence, he will take precautions before something happens and will not wait until something happens to regret it.
Yu Xiangan felt that with her cousin's personality and ability, he would definitely be promoted. But she didn't know if he was willing to be promoted.
Although being promoted to a commune sounds much more respectable, it also means being far away from home, and the circle of people I come into contact with has changed, jumping from a comfortable circle to an unfamiliar circle...
She shook her head. Why did she think about these things? Her cousin was a grown-up and knew what he should do. No matter what, it was his personal choice.
Yu Xiangju, Yu Mingjie and others followed Yu Mansheng to touch the bird eggs. They were very small, only the size of the tip of a little finger.
They were so excited that they could add two more eggs to make the egg whites. The reason for their happiness was so simple.
Lin Duzhong looked at his grandson carefully and suddenly asked, "Have you gained weight?"
Why does it feel like his grandson has not only grown taller, but also gained a little weight?
He still remembered that he was as thin as a bamboo pole before, but now he seems to be not only taller but also has some meat on his body. It's not fat, but he doesn't look so thin anymore.
"Do you eat meat for every meal in the cafeteria?" Lin Duzhong did not take his salary. He had a pension every month, plus the money his son gave him, so he was not short of money.
My grandson basically doesn't eat at home and eats three times a day in the hospital cafeteria, so this is the only reason. But to be honest, this is too obvious and shouldn't be done.
He had warned his grandson before, and he would not take his words lightly.
Lin Chuanbai: "No, I'm the same as everyone else in the cafeteria." He added silently in his heart, I just secretly asked others to give me special treatment.
"Maybe when I was out looking for wild vegetables, I happened to come across something edible, so I made a fire and roasted it. Otherwise, I don't know why."
Lin Duzhong didn't believe it. How many unexpected gains could he expect when he went there to look for food?
He had been tracked down a long time ago, and he guessed that he might have secretly spent money to buy food from others, such as going to a state-owned restaurant, or going to other places, or even to a privately opened restaurant. Another possibility is that he bought the ingredients and cooked by himself.
He emphasized safety and finally asked, "Do you have enough money?"
It’s not cheap to buy food on the black market. At his age, his stomach is a bottomless pit and no matter how much he eats, it’s never enough.
As he said this, he took out ten dollars from the drawer and gave it to him.
Lin Chuanbai refused, "Grandpa, my salary is not enough for me to eat alone?"
If that's not enough, he also has a medicine garden.
With the medicinal herbs in the medicine garden, excluding ginseng, he has made a lot of money. In addition to filling his own stomach, he can also save some money for himself.
But has he really gained weight?
He prepares a special meal for himself in the medicine garden every night, and has a big meal every seven days. It is not surprising if he gains weight by eating like this. Returning to the room, Lin Chuanbai touched his belly and found no fat. Good, he continued.
It's not just Lin Chuanbai who has gained weight. Yu Xiangan and Yu Xiangju have also seen significant changes.
Yu Xiangan used to be rather skinny, with yellow hair and dull skin, but now she has grown physically, her figure has become more rounded, she has grown taller, her cheeks are fuller, rosy and shiny, and her hair has turned black.
She didn't eat so much for nothing.
If Yu Xiangan looked just pretty before, now she is stunning. In addition, she pays attention to sun protection and has fair skin. You can tell at a glance that this girl comes from a good family, otherwise she wouldn't have such a good complexion.
Yu Xiangju was still as dark as before. After a winter, he didn't get any whiter. However, he grew taller, and his clothes became shorter. He looked smart and strong, the kind of tough kid that adults like most.
Yu Xiangan measured his height and found that it was less than 1.65 meters, so he continued to work hard.
Her ideal height is 1.7 meters, but if that's not possible, 1.65 meters is also good.
So you still have to drink more milk.
After returning from the Red Star Brigade, Yu Xiangan accompanied Gao Yimei to get the medicine for the last time. After taking it this time, Lin Duzhong said that she didn't need to take the medicine anymore.
Now she has back pain and bloating every month when her period comes, but it's not really painful, and she recovers after drinking more hot water and sitting down or lying down to relax. It's much better than before.
If Dr. Lin's condition was not inappropriate, Gao Yimei would have wanted to present him with a banner.
Originally, she and Yu Xiangan were just plastic friends who wanted to exchange supplies, but after they had the connection of accompanying each other to see the doctor, they slowly became real friends.
Sometimes Gao Yimei would complain to her and pour out her grievances. She envied Yu Xiangan's current situation. She was younger than her and didn't have to rush to find a partner. Her family wouldn't hold her back, and she even had a house under her name. Although her monthly salary was reduced after deducting the house payment, she would be happy to do so if it were her.
"Wasn't my subsidy to the family reduced because of my medical treatment? My brother gave me a cold look. He will get married soon. After that, I think there will be no place for me in the family. I have to focus on my life. Xiao An, do you know someone who is suitable? He doesn't have high requirements, has no burden at home, has good character, gets a formal salary, and has his own room. That's it."
To be honest, this request is not high, but she added later, "Listen to me, turn in your salary, not give it to his parents."
If you want to listen to her, it would be really hard to find someone who meets her requirements.
Gao Yimei smiled awkwardly, "I know this is just asking for a higher price to bargain with you. Just look for it according to these. If you can help me find someone similar, it doesn't matter if it's missing a few conditions. Just tell me and I'll ask around. The only thing that can't be compromised is a formally recognized identity and character."
As for the house, if two people work together, they can still earn enough money slowly.
Yu Xiangan didn't want to do such a thankless job. It's not easy to be a matchmaker. If he created a pair of resentful couples, he would be scolded for the rest of his life.
"There aren't many suitable people around me. You know, the people around me at work are all married."
The people the factory manager's assistant deals with are more or less at a certain level, and many of these levels are based on seniority. How many of them are still unmarried at this age? She is the youngest among them, and she doesn't interact much with other young people. She doesn't dare to say that the other person has good character. If he is a wolf in sheep's clothing, wouldn't that harm people?
Too.
Gao Yimei sighed, "Just keep an eye on it. Actually, I don't expect you to be a matchmaker. You haven't even gotten married yet. Just keep an eye on it for me. I can't do anything about it. If I don't make plans for myself, I don't know how long my mother will delay it."
Her mother hoped that she would get married later and later so that her salary could provide more financial support to the family.
Gao Yimei was really afraid that if she delayed for a few more years she wouldn't be able to find the right one and would have to move on.
She is unwilling to accept this.
"Also, I want to tell you, I really can't stand it anymore. Which family doesn't have a few poor relatives? I understand that, but they came here to see a doctor. There are too many people coming. Do you know how many people came besides the patients? Four of them stayed at my house and slept on the floor in the living room. I don't understand what they are doing here. Shouldn't they go to the hospital to take care of patients? It doesn't take so many people to take care of patients. They eat and drink here, and use everything from my house. My parents can't bring themselves to chase them away. If they said it was okay to stay for a day or two, I wouldn't tell you that it's been a week. They are so shameless! I listened to what they said, and they still wanted our family to pay for the medical expenses. I was really angry..."
She rambled on and on about her dissatisfaction with the past few days, and after venting it out, she stopped talking. She was a straightforward person, and if she was unhappy, she would basically not bring it up again. Yu Xiangan liked this about her. She was open-minded enough and didn't have so many twists and turns in her heart. Such people were happier in life. The only things she could talk about repeatedly were her mother's exploitation of her and her anxiety about finding a partner. Everything else was not a big deal.
After Gao Yimei finished complaining, she thought of other serious matters, "Xiao An, did you bring the things I asked you to make?"
Yu Xiangan gave her the basket, which contained two earthenware jars.
She smiled happily when she saw the clay pot, "Thank you, Xiao An, your cooking skills are amazing."
These are the soybean paste and fermented bean curd that she asked her to make. She relies on them to add color to the food when she eats in the cafeteria.
She has tasted almost everything Yu Xiangan made, but the two kinds of dishes are the ones she can't forget.
She does like chili sauce, but she can't eat spicy food. If the taste is a little bit strong, she will sneeze constantly. She has no affinity with chili peppers.
These two cans are enough for her to eat for a month. In addition to herself, she also helps the young sisters in her factory to bring them.
They would then collect their things. The things Yu Xiangan used to exchange the most were soybean paste and braised food. Tofu was too troublesome to make, and she didn't want to make it often. Soybean paste and braised food were different. They were easy to make, and she could make some money occasionally. Even a little bit of money was still money.
She wasn't after the money, she was bartering, there was nothing to be ashamed of even if others found out. They were all friends, so what was wrong with exchanging some food?
Everyone has different ingredients on hand, and her food inventory is much more abundant because of them.
After Lin Chuanbai knew this, he suddenly understood, "I want one too!"
In this way, he can cook for himself in the medicine garden and eat better.
Braised food, why didn’t he think of it before? The braising liquid can be kept for a long time if it is often boiled with water.
"Then what do you want? I'll bring it to you next time."
Lin Chuanbai was not polite, "Chili sauce, meat sauce, mushroom meat sauce, sesame sauce, various stewed foods, brine, and fermented tofu."
Yu Xiangan looked at him with a frown: "I'll try my best."
Most of the dishes that Yu Xiangan cooked for Lin Chuanbai were made on the farm. If they were cooked in the house, the smell would easily spread. It was okay occasionally, but it was too extreme if it was cooked frequently.
On this day, Yu Xiangan got off work and went back to his room. When he came out, he had a basket in his hand. He walked to the agreed place skillfully, and Lin Chuanbai was already there.
Yu Xiangan handed him the basket: "The mouth-watering chicken and chili sauce, mushroom meat sauce, and braised dried tofu are already here."
Lin Chuanbai took it and said, "Okay, thank you. You can deduct the money yourself as usual. Tell me when you're done." After they got familiar with each other, he would give a lump sum of money, and Yu Xiangan would deduct it in turn, so as to reduce the risk of exposure.
Just like at this moment, Gao Yimei came out from behind the tree and looked at them suspiciously: "What do you mean by buckle yourself?"
Lin Chuanbai: “!!!”
Yu Xiangan: “!!!”
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