After harvesting wheat all day, we still have to organize the students to walk back to school in the afternoon.
The donkeys in the production team didn't work so hard. In any case, Qiu Yuling didn't have the energy to "visit relatives", and for the first time, she followed the dormitory team to the big bathhouse.
In fact, it can't be called a bathhouse. It's just a slightly larger water room with about ten shower heads. Everyone queues up to wash, and when they want to lather, they have to move to the middle of the floor to make room for the students next to them.
So that you can get wet.
It was a little simpler than Qiu Yuling had imagined. She suppressed her shame, wiped it clean, and went back to the dormitory after washing it.
I decided to visit relatives next week. At least I can wash up and have a good sleep.
In the second week, during the wheat harvest period, the students of the Teachers College volunteered to work for another day.
Qiu Yuling dragged her tired body, said goodbye to her roommates, and went directly to her "relatives' house."
When she got back to the farm cabin, she not only took a nice bath, but also took the trouble to prepare a big meal.
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall!
By the time I finished eating, it was already night outside.
After finishing the meal, I fell asleep. While dozing off, I was still thinking about going there tomorrow. I would ask my uncle to rent or borrow the small house in his yard. If he didn't want the money, I would subsidize him with something else.
At least we can't let the old man suffer any loss.
"Didn't you send a message saying you wouldn't be here for the next two weeks?" Old Man Li asked unhappily. She even sent him a letter in a boastful manner, telling him so many arrangements.
Fortunately, I am not illiterate, otherwise I would not be able to know these things from her two large and flamboyant handwriting.
Over the years, even the number of letters his son sent home was limited.
When the old man received Qiu Yuling's letter, he was surprised but also a little expectant.
He didn't find those trivial school arrangements boring at all. Besides feeling sorry for the little girl, he also found them somewhat interesting.
I just feel bad for her spending those extra four cents. If she can't come, then she can't come. It's a waste of money.
"I'm just worried that you'll be waiting for me at home, anxiously awaiting me. Besides, I'm just letting you know now that you've received the news, so I won't be worried about you anymore."
Qiu Yuling first looked at the vegetable garden under the main hall. The plants had sprouted, and the survival rate was quite high.
He looked at his pockets again and at the several earthenware jars in the cupboard. Some should be full, some should be empty.
The old man is quite obedient.
"How is it? Which of those sauces are you most proud of?" Qiu Yuling asked the old man while washing her hands.
"That rabbit pâté is fine. If you can get an extra jar, that would be even better. I have an old friend who wants it too. How much would it cost? You can give me an estimate. He has money."
Qiu Yuling suspected that this was a fabricated story and that the old man was just trying to subsidize her in various ways.
"It's only worthwhile if we eat it ourselves. If we sell too little, we won't be able to cover the trouble. If we sell too much, people will accuse us of speculation.
If he's really someone important to you, the stuff will arrive next week, so just give him a can. Let's not talk about the money."
"Three dollars, do you think it's okay?" The old man didn't understand the ins and outs of food, but generally speaking, good food has to go through some processing steps, so he couldn't tell whether the price was too high or too low.
Qiu Yuling refused without a second thought, "If you treat me as your goddaughter, don't tell me this. This is all to show my filial piety to you.
I also want to use your west room, but I’m tired of going back and forth every day.”
The old man was distracted when he heard this, and his mind was completely focused on the fact that the little girl wanted to live in the west room.
"The room is tidy and has everything. You can just live there." He even asked someone to get him a bed. It was Qiu Yuling who initially refused and insisted on running back and forth every day, so he stopped talking about it.
Qiu Yuling followed him in and found that it was true. The red checkered sheets and the dark red quilt cover did not look old at all, which showed that they were made with great care.
"I already have my bedding roll, why are you preparing this too?"
"Just use what's given to you." These days, every family has a bedding roll for each person. If he doesn't prepare some, will he let the little girl carry the bedding roll back and forth when she comes back?
"That's fine. Come winter, I'll make you two coats, one thin and one thick. I guarantee you'll be comfortable."
The old man didn't refuse. "Wait a moment. I'm going out for a while. We'll cook when I come back."
Qiu Yuling agreed repeatedly, as she had just enough time to clean up first.
The old man is not a very tidy person. Although it can't be said to be dirty, it is indeed messy. Books are placed on the kang and on the table.
She put the books away one by one and stuffed the open spaces with leaves she had picked up from the yard as bookmarks.
The kang table was also moved aside.
When washing clothes, I found that the old man's collar was worn out, so I found a piece of similar cloth, wrapped it and sewed it back on.
I heard a clanging sound and looked up, only to find that the old man had brought in another piece of pork belly.
It’s hard to get pork belly these days, and the old man has just used up all the meat coupons he saved. It’s not like he could save any more in just two weeks.
"You must have put a lot of effort into this, right? Don't bother next time. I'll do it. I have a place to get it back."
"That's fine. Just tell me how much it costs. If you don't explain it nicely, I won't eat it even if you give it to me."
Qiu Yuling laughed, thinking he was afraid that she would have to pay for it. "Don't worry, I'm just a poor student, how could I have such a large family background? I'll tell you right away."
"I'll leave you some living money." The old man thought it was not right. Where would she get the money to buy it first? If she had to go home and tell him about it, and then give him the money, it would be too late.
He took out ten dollars and insisted that Qiu Yuling keep it as a backup, saying that she could just reimburse him later. As an old man, he still had the ability to judge people.
What could Qiu Yuling say? She had to take the meat and the money.
"So, are you going to have braised pork today? Or do you want it cooked in a bun?"
"Let's make braised pork. Let me see if your 'cooking master' skills are stable."
"Okay, then you can watch it."
Whether it's braised pork or steamed pork, half the success is achieved if the sugar color is fried well. It's not difficult for her.
The old man didn't rest either, and followed closely, but he didn't know how to do it himself and just kept giving orders.
"Be good, please sit by the door. If you keep giving me random orders and disturbing me, I'll waste such good meat."
Even though the old man was kicked out, the corners of his mouth were raised, and he looked happier than when the factory director called him Engineer Li.
Without the old man around, Qiu Yuling was no longer restricted.
She is now taller and no longer needs to stand on a stool to cook. She can quickly pour the food into the casserole and simmer it on low heat.
The old man didn't like the rice mixed with other grains, and pure rice was hard to buy here. Qiu Yuling didn't dare to attract attention and exchange it, so she had to make the dough in advance.
By now the dough had risen, and firewood was added to another large stove, and the kneaded buns were placed on the pot.
"Master Gan, I'll play a round with you."
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