Chapter 76: The quarrel started
There is no more warming by the fire after the first month of the lunar year. The sun at noon in March makes people feel lazy and sleepy, but it is still cold in the morning and evening.
It was already late in the day when they knew that Brother Wen Wan had arrived, and it was too late to cook bacon. Zhang Hongying specially cooked dry rice. Although it was mixed with corn, it was also very good. She picked a handful of garlic sprouts that had sprouted from the field and brought back the bacon. She took it down and roasted it, but there was no time to cook it. She just washed it, cut it into thin slices, and stir-fried it in a pan with garlic sprouts. She also fried eggs, salted vegetables and shredded potatoes, four dishes in total. You might not eat so well even during the Chinese New Year.
Wen Wan didn't have a big appetite to begin with, and Zhang Hongying liked to pick dishes for her. She probably knew what she liked to eat, so she didn't give her any fatty meat, just two thin slices of pork belly. The fat and lean meat were greasy and not appealing at all.
It was during the Chinese New Year when they ate meat and everyone was so greedy, and Lu Donglin's mouth was full of oil.
After dinner, it was still dark, so Wen Wan didn't stay any longer. She picked up some water and prepared to go back. Zhang Hongying stopped her and asked, "How many female educated youth are here?"
"Three."
"Are you easy to get along with?" After saying that, without waiting for Wen Wan's answer, she continued, "When there are too many people, there will be more trouble. If you can get along, then get along. If you can't, then ignore it. If there are really those who are too excessive and bite like mad dogs, we can't let them bully us, okay?"
She smiled gently, her eyebrows curved: "I know, I won't let anyone bully me."
Zhang Hongying waved her hand: "Go, go. You and your sister haven't seen each other for so long. You must have something to say. I won't keep you any longer." After that, she winked at Lu Dongping. Lu Dongping pretended not to see it, took a step forward, and followed Wen Wan away. As for the things they bought in the county town during the day, Lu Dongping didn't remember to mention it, and Wen Wan had forgotten it too.
The educated youths at the camp hadn't had their meal yet. As Zhang Hongying said, more people means more trouble. Originally, there were only Liu Changqing and Wang Jianmao, and later Zhu Feng and Wen Wan joined, making it only four people. Even so, Liu Changqing and Zhu Feng had a falling out over the food ration issue, not to mention the seven people who came now.
The three lesbians were complaining about all sorts of illnesses, and the four gay men were no pushovers either.
Now they had no food on hand. At that time, Lu Minghai popped his head out and asked for food together. Lu Minghai felt a headache and reluctantly agreed. He ordered the beds to be made and left quickly.
As soon as I left, they started arguing.
Because there is no food ration at the moment, Liu Changqing and Wang Jianmao have to pay for the meals first. Liu Changqing's meaning is very simple. The meals are just like that. No account is kept. If you want to eat a few meals, just pay the money and the tickets directly, and the bills are settled. It's quick and easy.
Deng Hongjuan was a little angry and said, "Have you been in the mountains for too long? You're so stingy. It's not some rare delicacy. Why would you refuse to pay for it?"
After saying that, Li Hongtao echoed, "That's right, it would be boring if everyone lived under the same roof in the future."
Liu Changqing got angry immediately. He was not a good-tempered person and he was tired after a day of work. How could he have the energy to listen to these people's whining?
At that time, his tone changed: "Yes, I am so stingy. I have been in the mountains for a long time. You will not stay in the mountains for a few days. I have been here for several years. I am just watching to see how long you can survive here!"
After saying that, he turned and went into the shed.
Wang Jianmao had a good temper, but he was a little angry at this moment. He took the shoulder pole and went to fetch water. The two of them cooperated with each other as before and quickly prepared the meal.
The members cleared their private plots and brought back some cabbage, chopped it and put it in the pot. They made soup and mixed it with some dumpling soup, cooking enough for two people.
They ate, and the remaining seven people watched.
The quarrel broke out before the meal was even finished.
Lu Dongping and Wen Wan were halfway there when they ran into a newly arrived educated youth walking towards them aggressively. They both paused, and Wen Wan looked back at him and then at the person coming towards them: "What's going on?"
"That's Wen Wan and Secretary Lu, right?"
"It's them."
"Hey, Secretary Lu, what a coincidence, I was just about to go to your place."
Lu Dongping glanced at Xu Qingming, paused for a moment, and then looked away: "What's wrong?"
Li Hongtao said, "We are new here, we have nothing and know nothing. The team leader said this afternoon that our food supply will be transferred over, so we can write a note and borrow money. We will just make do for now and live with the former educated youth."
Lu Dongping nodded: "Yes, it has always been like this."
"The problem is that they're being very arrogant and not happy. We backed up all the way and spent so much time on the road, and finally got to the destination, but there's not even a cup of hot water. We need to go and ask the captain what this means. We're here to support rural development, not to be bullied."
Lu Dongping smiled and looked at the chattering educated youth.
Before he could speak, Wen Wan said, "No, I'm not unhappy. Comrade Zhu Feng and I ate with them when we first arrived. They're very nice people. We pay when we should, give tickets when we should, and then we just take turns cooking. How could we not be happy?"
"No, what do you mean? You mean we can't speak or do things or we're not as good-looking as you, otherwise why would they be willing to accept you but not us?"
Wen Wan looked at Deng Hongjuan, her face wrinkled. "No, you, are you not in your right mind? Otherwise, how could you not understand what I'm saying? What does your situation have to do with me? You're here to support rural construction, and I'm not? Are you superior to me or something? Look at how capable you are. If you're so capable, why did you go to the team leader? Can't you solve it yourself? Does the team leader eat your rice or drink your water? I think he must have been unlucky to be assigned to a cross-eyed educated youth like you."
He chatters away like he's fighting a war without even taking a breath, just like that little Lu Donglin.
Xu Qingming wanted to laugh, but felt it was inappropriate, so he blocked his mouth with his fist and pretended to cough.
Deng Hongjuan had been fuming that afternoon, and now she was even more furious. She raised her thick eyebrows and said, "What's going on? You're taking advantage of the fact that you've been here a few days earlier and teaming up with those two from the educated youth center to bully people, right? Of course I'm superior to you, but I won't be like you, trying to find a date the moment you get here. We're here to support the countryside, and you're here to find a date. Is that also a form of support?"
Wen Wan was furious. "You came to support the countryside. The commune members and team leaders in Lujiazui are so unlucky to have met someone as outstanding and ambitious as you, and yet you start making trouble as soon as you arrive. You're here to support rural development, and you're called an educated youth. Don't insult the term educated youth, okay? As soon as you get off the train, you have to be fed and watered, and treated with care. You think the entire production team is your father, and you can do whatever you want!" She was always a good-for-you, good-for-me, and good-for-everyone type. She had a ton of nice things to say, and plenty of bad things too, but she just didn't get to say them often. After all, this kind of crazy person who bites everyone is rare.
"Wanwan!" Xu Qingming called out to her, "This is something the captain needs to resolve. Don't get involved. Girl, don't say those things. It's inappropriate. People will laugh at you for your lack of manners if they hear you."
Wen Wan pursed her lips and said nothing.
She kept silent, and Deng Hongjuan felt proud. She didn't realize that Xu Qingming was talking about her as well, as if she had won a great victory.
Lu Dongping raised his eyebrows and reached out to pull Wen Wan: "Let them go find the captain."
The men, who were looking aggressive, paused and looked back at him.
As dusk fell, the sky was getting darker and darker. I couldn't make out the expression on his face clearly, but I felt that the chuckle was chilling.
After the educated youths had left, Xu Qingming slowly followed them. When he passed by Wen Wan, he said, "Don't get involved. Go back to sleep. Be good, or you won't grow taller."
Wen Wan kicked him, this time with a real kick: "Do you think I'm a three-year-old child? How much older are you than me? I'm telling you, don't get involved with that group of people. Are you bored? Go and throw manure in the fields and see if they still have the energy to mess with you."
Xu Qingming rolled his eyes and looked up at the sky. Was he bored? He hadn't even eaten yet!
Wen Wan followed him back, chattering as she walked, "Hey, Seventh Brother, you haven't eaten yet, have you? You're such a jerk! Third Uncle was right, you're just a stubborn little donkey."
Xu Qingming hissed, his hands itching to hit someone.
Wen Wan continued, "I asked you to eat, but you refused. When Aunt Lu heard you were coming, she specially fried meat, bacon with garlic sprouts, and scrambled eggs. She cooked a whole table of dishes. They smelled amazing."
Xu Qingming could no longer bear it: "Who is treating who like a three-year-old child? Do you think I was released from a starving island and haven't eaten in my entire life?"
He said that, but he was truly hungry right now. He hadn't had an appetite on the train that early in the morning, so he didn't eat on the train. By the time lunch came around, he'd already gotten off. He followed the group out of the station and onto the tractor, which rattled and rattled all the way, practically shaking his heart and lungs apart. Finally, he arrived, and he hadn't had a sip of water since then. He was so hungry he couldn't even feel it. And then he had to deal with some idiot teammates. Something that could have been resolved with a few polite words was led astray by a couple of clueless people.
He originally wanted to smooth things over by saying a few nice words to the two educated youths, but some of them still didn't appreciate it. So that's all he could do. Let's just starve together and share the hardship!
It just so happened that he also wanted to see what the so-called going to the countryside to receive re-education and support rural construction was like, and what the people here were like.
Wen Wan snorted, "You're just being stubborn. If you want to eat now, I can still trouble someone to get you something to eat. But later, you'll really have nothing to eat."
Xu Qingming was itching to hit her, to crack her head open and see if it was filled with grass. Why did the Lu family invite him to dinner? They had ulterior motives. If he went to eat this meal, wouldn't that be tantamount to tacitly agreeing to Wen Wan's relationship with this Lu family?
No, that's absolutely impossible.
How could the treasure that the Wen and Xu families had carefully nurtured fall into such a muddy pit?
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