Gu Zhenjiang lifted the cloth and said, "I bought two pounds of eggs. The pork I bought this morning was sold out. I've already told the butcher to keep some for me tomorrow."
Li Cuiying nodded and handed the rolling pin to Gu Zhenjiang. She carried the basket and put the eggs in the cabinet in the main room.
She took out the eggs, checked and counted them one by one, and felt relieved only when she was sure that none of them were bad. She calculated in her mind how many days Jiang Mengxue could eat them. If it was not enough, she would go find someone to exchange some egg tickets.
These days, there is no guarantee of having meat every day, but eggs are indispensable. Given his family's financial situation, they can afford even an egg.
Jiang Mengxue took out a stack of tickets from her bag and handed them to Er Niang: "Er Niang, these are the tickets my parents sent me before. I'm taking some of them to Tsinghua and Peking University. The dates are getting closer."
Li Cuiying took it and looked at it. The food coupons, meat coupons and egg coupons were all valid nationwide, and the expiration date was indeed approaching. If they were not used, they would expire.
"Okay, then I'll keep it. I'll queue up to buy it when I'm free in the next few days."
Jiang Mengxue didn't mention paying, and neither did Li Cuiying.
Sometimes relationships cannot be calculated so clearly. If Jiang Mengxue said she would give money, Li Cuiying would definitely be worried even if she didn't say it.
Jiang Mengxue went to Xie Sheng's room and called him to eat.
"Knock, knock, knock, Sister Sheng, let's eat first, and then write after we finish eating."
"Here I come."
Xie Sheng is the busiest one recently. She can be a very good doctor.
But she was really not used to doing publicity and speaking in front of so many people.
She wondered if she could just do the logistical work and complete the promotional notes, otherwise she was afraid of failing halfway.
"You've been too nervous lately, Sister Sheng. Just treat everyone here like cabbages and say whatever comes to your mind. You can answer some questions along the way. What are you afraid of when it comes to professional knowledge?"
Xie Sheng was also helpless. It was not that he would not be nervous just because he wanted to. Even if he was a carefree person in life, he was facing someone he was familiar with.
Just imagining dozens or hundreds of people sitting there listening to her talk is a bit scary.
Jiang Mengxue also knew that this kind of thing could not be solved by simply giving a few words of comfort, so she patted Xie Sheng on the shoulder as an encouragement.
The noodles are served in a bowl, and whoever has finished eating can scoop it out by themselves.
Li Cuiying handed over the bowl and chopsticks: "Don't be polite, Xiaosheng, eat it yourself after you finish it, don't eat at home and then go hungry."
Xie Sheng placed the bowl on the table with both hands: "Thank you, Second Mother. I know."
Just as they sat down to eat, there was a knock on the door.
"Don't get up, I'll go open the door."
Gu Zhenjiang put down his bowl and chopsticks and went out. After a while, he heard people talking outside, and the voices were getting closer and closer.
"Cuiying, I'm here to bother you again."
Li Cuiying stood up and lifted the door curtain.
"Auntie Tian, why are you bothering me? What's going on?"
An elderly lady came into the room, holding a child of about one or two years old in her hand. She was also holding a small bowl with two eggs in it.
"I smell the mutton soup in your yard. I'll trade you an egg for a bowl of soup. My little one is crying out for some, and my eldest was late last time and couldn't get any."
Li Cuiying straightened herself and said with a smile: "Auntie Tian, you are really something. If the child wants to eat, just tell me. There is no need to change. You can take the eggs back later. A child of this age can only drink so much.
Auntie, please take a seat. I'll serve the noodles tonight."
Mrs. Tian waved her hands quickly: "No, no, just some soup will do. The child has already eaten, so he can't drink much."
Li Cuiying took the old lady's bowl, rinsed it with water, filled it with mutton bone soup, picked out a few noodles, and put them on a stool beside for the child to eat by himself.
"Auntie, have you guys eaten yet? It's quite early today."
"That's right. It gets dark early now, so the eldest brother's wife has to cook the meal early and keep it warm in the pot. Otherwise, it would be inconvenient to do anything in the dark, and turning on the lights would waste electricity."
As he spoke, he noticed Jiang Mengxue and Xie Sheng sitting on the kang and eating.
"Are these two girls Cuiying your relatives? How come I've never seen them before?"
The two families have been old neighbors for many years. They have known each other since they moved here, which is at least ten years.
The two parties are aware of each other's basic situation.
It can even be said that I know most of the families living nearby very well. I know how many relatives there are in a family and which family is not getting along well.
Of course I was very curious when I saw two strange girls.
"Haha, Auntie, what kind of relative am I? Does she look like my daughter?"
Jiang Mengxue just smiled at the old lady without saying anything.
Gu Zhenjiang and Li Cuiying had no children. The old lady was of course well aware of this and also knew that she was joking.
"Yes, she looks like you. Weren't you so beautiful when you were young?"
Li Cuiying laughed, "Auntie, you are still good at talking." Pointing at Jiang Mengxue, she said, "The one next to me is my niece-in-law Xiaoxue, my wife who is a graduate of Peking University or Tsinghua University, and the one next to her is Xiaoxue's colleague.
They used to live in East City, but they're going to work here for a while. Please help me take care of them at home every day. The two children are not familiar with West City."
The old lady was a little disappointed when she heard that Jiang Mengxue was Li Cuiying's niece-in-law.
She thought she would be the couple's niece. It would be a pity if she didn't have a partner and could get to know her grandson.
Knowing that there was no hope, he turned his gaze to Xie Sheng's face again.
"No problem. If you have any questions, just knock on the door next door. I'm home every day."
"How's the matter Cuiying told you last time? Is there anyone suitable to introduce to my grandson?"
Li Cuiying didn't react to what was going on for a moment, and only understood the second half of the sentence.
I've been so busy with things at home lately that I don't have time to introduce potential partners to young girls and young boys.
But of course she couldn't say that she had forgotten. She turned her head and glanced at Gu Zhenjiang, signaling with her eyes that he should not speak.
Gu Zhenjiang lowered his head and ate, pretending he knew nothing.
Li Cuiying then turned around and complained to the old lady, as if she couldn't find a wife for her grandson. The old lady was so frightened that she almost believed her lies.
"Auntie, please stop talking like that. Lately, everyone I meet is asking if they have daughters or nieces.
Whenever I see a young girl, I want to tell her about her in-laws. Now people at work avoid me when they see me.
Girls nowadays don’t get married as early as we did back then. When it comes to blind dates, they always say they want to be in a free relationship and that they are not in a rush to find a partner as they are still young.”
After saying that, he shook his head, as if he was extremely disgusted with the current trend of young people advocating free love.
"I remember your eldest nephew's daughter is twenty years old now. Is she dating someone?"
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