The departure of a person, especially a stranger yet familiar person, did not cause any ripples in Du Jiang's life. Even though they were related by blood, Du Jiang's loss only lasted for that day. He recovered in high spirits the next day, as if nothing had happened.
Huo Yang was quite open-minded about this. After all, birth, aging, sickness and death were normal in the world. He couldn't understand being heartbroken over someone he barely met. So, to some extent, Huo Yang and Du Jiang were really alike. This attitude towards leaving also made Du Siming shrug and couldn't help but praise, "You two are indeed husband and wife."
Huo Yang and Du Jiang just smiled and accepted it, but facing the upset old couple of the Huo family, they still restrained their emotions. After all, they are sad, and your calmness is no less than rubbing salt into the wound.
Huo Yang looked at the closed door of the west wing with some concern. "Jiang Jiang, is it really okay for you to go to work alone? How about I ask for leave?"
"Don't," Du Jiang hurriedly stopped him, "It's not a big deal. Don't worry, Grandpa and Grandma have me to take care of them. I guess they are a little sad about the sudden death of an old friend, but don't worry, our grandparents are open-minded, it's okay."
"But," Huo Yang was still worried, but Du Jiang didn't want to listen to his worried words anymore. She immediately pushed Huo Yang out and said, "Just go back to work. Remember to keep warm when you're on night shift. Although it's spring, the temperature at night is still very low. Also, don't be reluctant to eat. Go to the state-owned restaurant this afternoon and buy some steamed buns or something to fill your stomach for the night. Don't hold back until tomorrow, it's not good for your stomach."
"I know"
Although Huo Yang promised so, Du Jiang, who was thrifty as he was, could not hear the perfunctory meaning in his words. She could only pinch him angrily and said, "Just do it. I've put the money and notes in my trouser pockets. Buy some more and bring some back for grandpa and grandma tomorrow. White flour is easier to digest than whole grains."
"Okay, I got it. If you have any problems, go find the village chief. I'll carry you alone." Even though Huo Yang was worried, he had no choice but to get on the tricycle and set off.
Watching the car driving away, Du Jiang looked up at the gray sky and walked back slowly.
When passing by the west wing, the door was still closed, and there was no movement inside. Du Jiang paused and knocked a few times, "Grandpa, Grandma, what would you like to eat in the morning?"
After a long while, Old Man Huo's voice came from inside, "Jiang Jiang, go back to sleep. Your grandma and I will make breakfast."
Hearing this, Du Jiang didn't say anything politely. "Okay, Grandpa and Grandma, I'll go back to my room first. Call me if you need anything."
Hearing the voice, Du Jiang turned around and went back to her room with peace of mind. However, she did not make up for her sleep. Instead, she took out the book on Chinese medicine and started reading. Astragalus, Pinus ternatea, Gastrodia elata, Sanguisorba officinalis, Cistanche deserticola... and so on, the names of the medicinal herbs flashed through Du Jiang's mind. Although the pictures above were in black and white, it did not prevent Du Jiang from carefully observing the appearance of their roots, leaves and even flowers, and then comparing them with her memory and the ones she had encountered in the mountains.
Reviewing the old to learn the new, Du Jiang read carefully page by page. Before he knew it, it was already bright outside the window. The noise outside the door woke Du Jiang up from his book. He looked up at the clock on the wall, quickly put the book back on the shelf, and got up to walk out.
"Grandma, you're up." Seeing Mrs. Huo coming out from the opposite side, Du Jiang hurriedly greeted her, "Grandma, I'll go cook. You take a walk in the yard."
Old Mrs. Huo met Du Jiang's worried eyes and smiled with relief. "It's okay, Jiang Jiang. I'm sorry to have worried you. I just can't recover right away. Your grandfather and I were comrades-in-arms. Before we left, we agreed to get together in a few years. Who knew that we would be separated by death? Life is so unpredictable."
"There's no such thing as unpredictable things in life. I think it's all Old Man Du's own fault. Everyone says his wife is unreliable, but he spoiled her. Now his descendants are falling apart, and the whole family is in trouble."
Du Jiang agreed with what Old Man Huo said from the bottom of his heart, but due to his status he could not say it out loud, so he could only lower his head and act as a background board.
"What nonsense are you talking about in front of the child?" Old Mrs. Huo turned around and glared at Old Man Huo, then winked at him to indicate that Du Jiang was still there.
Seeing this, Old Man Huo awkwardly started to make amends, "Well, Jiang Jiang, Grandpa didn't say your grandfather was bad, it was your grandmother..."
"Ahem~" Seeing that Old Man Huo was talking about Old Lady Du again, Old Lady Huo quickly coughed to interrupt him, "If you can't speak, just shut up. Jiang Jiang, your grandpa didn't mean that. So, let grandma make you an omelet this morning."
The meaning of coaxing the child was self-evident. Du Jiang could only smile and walked forward to hold Mrs. Huo's arm, explaining, "Grandma, I'm fine. Besides, what Grandpa said is also true. I'll make breakfast. You and Grandpa can walk around the yard. Don't go to the pigpen today. It's fine to rest at home for a day."
"No, how can I rest?" Old Mrs. Huo was not worried about the pigsty, but mainly worried about Huo Ze. She immediately said, "I'm fine. I lay down all day yesterday. Your grandfather and I will go to work soon. You can rest at home."
Seeing that she couldn't persuade Old Lady Huo, Du Jiang didn't insist. "Okay, Grandma, I'll go cook first. Can you help me look after the two Polygonatum sibiricum plants under the window? I transplanted them from the mountain yesterday."
"Huangjing", now Mrs. Huo became interested, and she didn't bother to ask Du Jiang about who would cook. She immediately pulled Old Man Huo to the window sill to study. Seeing this, Du Jiang breathed a sigh of relief and walked towards the kitchen.
Rice and sweet potato porridge, multi-grain cakes, and cold dishes, simple home-cooked meals are enough to soothe the heart.
The sweet potatoes are soft and sweet, and when paired with the blooming rice, it is so thick that it can be compared to porridge. Old Mrs. Huo has given up preaching to Du Jiang about her ability to make thin soup thick. After all, one should be grateful for the person who has eaten it. Moreover, compared to the thin soup where you can count the rice grains, this soup can indeed fill your stomach instead of just making you feel full.
"Jiang Jiang, let's store more food after the busy farming season is over. I'll ask your grandfather to dig a cellar in the yard to store some food there." Old Mrs. Huo didn't know what she was thinking about, so she put down her chopsticks and turned to look at Du Jiang.
"If we want to dig a cellar, why not dig one in the corner of the living room? We have herbs and vegetables planted in the yard. It would be troublesome if they were damaged." Du Jiang looked back at the growth in the yard and didn't want to destroy it. Old Mrs. Huo nodded in agreement. "That's right. Then dig one in the living room and store some vegetables and food. Leave the yard alone."
Old man Huo on the side had no right to speak at all. After all, women were the ones who made the decisions on such matters at home, and he and Huo Yang could only obey.
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