Seeing Su Li unfold the letter, Zhang Feng also got up and went over to take a look, as he was also eager to know what Lin Xiaoxiao had said in it.
In her letter, Lin Xiaoxiao wrote that she was doing very well in Wangjia Village, and the villagers treated her very well. She was much more comfortable than when she stayed in her previous two homes. She said that she had found a boyfriend in Wangjia Village who was very capable and would even teach her how to make traps.
With this skill, she almost never lacks meat to eat there. Now she has not only grown taller, but also gained several pounds, so the teacher doesn't need to worry.
He also said that he was very lucky and always had a good harvest when he went up the mountain. Once, when he and his partner went up the mountain and caught a lot of game, they even found ginseng. He said that the wild ginseng should be kept by the teacher and not given away, because it was the best tonic for the body.
Finally, she mentioned that thanks to her teacher's careful guidance, she has become wise and thoughtful, and has done many good things for the village. The county even rewarded her with money, and she is now living a good life. In her opinion, going to the countryside is not hard work.
She told the teacher to take good care of herself and that she would definitely visit him if she had the chance to go to Beijing.
Finally, it was emphasized that ginseng should not be sold or given away, as one's own health is important and one should nourish oneself.
After reading the letter, Su Li and her husband exchanged a surprised glance, quickly put down the letter, and began to look at the contents of the package.
Inside was a large bag of dried goods, as well as rabbit meat, pheasant meat, three beautifully prepared cured pork strips, several kilograms of venison, some mushrooms, walnuts, cotton, and two sets of very thick clothing.
Picking up the clothes, I saw wild ginseng that was very well packaged.
Seeing so much, the two of them were at a loss for words.
Seeing so much stuff, Su Li's eyes welled up with tears. "This girl, she sent way too much..."
Zhang Feng hadn't had much contact with Lin Xiaoxiao, but seeing so much stuff, he couldn't help but be moved: "Your student is really thoughtful. Knowing that it's hard to get meat here, she sent almost all of it, including this wild ginseng. It would be worth at least a hundred yuan if sold elsewhere."
"Judging from what she wrote, she's treating you like family."
“Good boy, I used to blame you for going through all this trouble, but now it seems that it’s worth it for someone like you.” Zhang Feng said this with a hint of shame.
The situation has been bad these past few years. People used to respect teachers quite a bit, but these days, most people want to stay as far away from teachers as possible. Even their children have a mediocre relationship with them, and they can't compare to their children at all.
Seeing that Su Li was a little emotional, Zhang Feng comforted her, "She's so outstanding. No matter what happens in the future, this child will be fine. You don't need to worry too much. You should be happy to see the child doing well."
Su Li took a breath upon hearing this, and then laughed, "That's right, but don't you know whose student you are?" Her words carried a hint of boasting.
"I'm relieved that this child is doing better and better."
"It's lunchtime, let's have a good meal to celebrate. Take out the wine you've been hiding, I want to have a couple of sips today too." Su Li wiped away her tears, after being moved, Lin Xiaoxiao brought her boundless happiness.
“Okay, even if you didn’t say anything, I would still have a couple of sips. Thanks to Lin Xiaoxiao, now that we have wild ginseng, I can drink a little more often.” Zhang Feng said with a cheerful smile.
Upon hearing this, Su Li's face immediately fell. "This ginseng is for Xiao Xiao to help us improve our health, not for you to drink more alcohol."
"You can drink a little more today, but from now on, drink according to the same amount as before. If I find anything wrong, you won't get any ginseng anymore!"
"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you," Zhang Feng said, surrendering.
"That's more like it... Ah... The food in the pot is burnt..." Su Li quickly put down what she was holding and ran to save the food in the pot.
Zhang Feng was packing the things in the package, which contained some valuable items that they had to hide well.
We can have a good Chinese New Year this year.
After the lively days of the housewarming party were over, Lin Xiaoxiao's life went back to normal. She would either cut pig feed, draw pictures, or go to the county town to deliver goods.
This morning, Lin Xiaoxiao was drawing at home. She had just finished a few designs when she heard a knock on the gate.
"They're here!"
When they opened the door, they found Wang Xue and the others, each holding a package.
Lin Xiaoxiao asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"
“The commune’s bathhouse has been open for a while now, and it’s less crowded at this time. Let’s go get our hair washed together,” Wang Xue said excitedly. “We’ve already packed our things. Once you’re done here, we can go together.”
She then remembered that Wang Xue and the others had mentioned this matter a couple of days ago, and she had agreed to it then.
Lin Xiaoxiao thought that there was no rush to draw the picture, and since she had nothing else to do today, she decided to go along with it.
She hasn't been to the local bathhouse since she arrived, so this is a good opportunity for her to check it out.
Lin Xiaoxiao told them to sit at home for a while, as she was going to tidy up.
She quickly packed towels, soap, and a change of clothes, and set off with everyone.
Because so many people were going, they had made a special appointment with Uncle Ganzi. When they arrived at the village entrance, they all squeezed onto the oxcart.
The weather is getting colder and colder. Today, a cold wind is blowing, and we all huddled together like quails, shivering all the way to the commune's bathhouse.
The commune's bathhouse was also a commune property, but it was only open in winter. People from the commune didn't need tickets; they were charged per person, two cents per bath.
Bathhouses in those days weren't as comfortable as they are in later times. All the facilities were very basic, but the only thing they had in common was that they were warm as soon as you entered.
The public bathhouse is just for you to soak and wash; there are no pedicure or massage services, and no professional aunties to scrub off grime.
As soon as you enter, you'll see that the area is divided into two sections, men on the left and women on the right. There's a locker for storing things near the entrance to the bathhouse.
After paying in line, the group rented two lockers together. Since they all had money on them and the lockers were locked, they weren't worried about their belongings being stolen.
Inside the lobby, there were some snacks for sale, including candies, peanuts, and pine nuts, all packaged in pretty little dishes, each dish costing one cent.
Seeing that the pine nuts were alright, they bought a plate of them. Lin Xiaoxiao also bought a plate of chestnuts, so they could eat them while taking a bath.
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