"No need to shout, I can hear you in the backyard." Sun Yuanyuan was holding two carrots covered with yellow mud in her hands. She looked thinner and more energetic than before.
"Qingqing, you are getting more and more beautiful." This is Ye Zi's voice.
"Sister Yuanyuan, Sister Yezi." Gu Qingqing stood up and said with a smile, "You are getting more and more beautiful."
The three women gathered together chattering, and Gu Qingqing helped to pump the well to wash the vegetables for them.
The groundwater was warm and would not freeze her hands. Sun Yuanyuan quickly cleaned the mud off the radishes. She glanced at the man who was chatting and laughing with Meng Nan and the others and asked with a smile, "Is this the person your second brother found for you?"
Gu Qingqing nodded and squatted down to talk to them, "How is he? Isn't he handsome?"
"Just a little thinner," Sun Yuanyuan said regretfully, "I think it's good to be like your elder brother."
Gu Qingqing was stunned for a moment. She had never seen Gousheng before. After thinking for a long time, she came back to her senses. "My brother Axiong? He is very efficient. Whoever marries him will definitely not suffer any loss."
Gu Xiong is the strongest laborer in the village. He has a muscular body and the handsome appearance of his family members. He never complains about the hard work. Whenever Gu Jin leads the villagers to build canals and dig ditches, he is always the first one to pick up the hoe.
He is not as dull as his second uncle Gu Yin. He is eloquent and cheerful.
Sun Yuanyuan nodded, "You guys in the Gu family are all great. I used to think your uncle Gu Bao was just lazy and slick, but this time he went to the mountains to collect rocks. After the Zhang family finished collecting the rocks, he pulled a cart to the river bank to transport them. I heard that his shoulders were rubbed, but he didn't say a word."
Gu Qingqing covered her mouth and laughed, "My uncle only slacks off when his family is around. My brothers are all capable, and he thinks that those who are capable should do more work. He is afraid of embarrassing my father outside and others saying bad things about the Gu family, so he naturally grits his teeth and works hard."
Ye Zi whispered, "Some time ago, Zhang Qing was busy digging medicinal herbs, Meng Nan and Cheng Feng were watching the fish pond, and we didn't have the energy to go to the mountain to chop firewood after we came back from the fields. It was you, Brother Axiong and Brother Yuan Chao, who brought us two loads of dry firewood from the mountain. Otherwise, we wouldn't have had firewood to burn on New Year's Eve tonight."
When they first arrived at Datunzi Village, they really wanted to do some work and return to the city when they had the chance. Later, they met Gu Qingqing, who saved them from being wrongly accused. At that time, when they had no food to eat after arriving in the countryside, she sent them sweet potatoes and potatoes. Knowing that Zhang Qing was not acclimatized to the local climate, she sent him tofu.
They always remembered the kindness of Gu's family and tried their best to give back in the past few months in the production team. They did not expect that the villagers had already treated them as locals. Whenever they had food, such as dried sweet potatoes or fermented beans, they would come and give them a portion. When they saw them building a grape rack in the yard, they would also come and help.
Gu Jin and Xue Jianshan had already carried a ladder and added a layer of thatch and yellow mud to the leaky house, so they are not afraid of windy weather.
They gradually adapted to this place.
Before I went to the countryside, I heard from the educated youth who returned to the city that the villagers treated them as enemies and were on guard against them. They always felt that they were taking away their rations, and their attitudes were very bad and they often targeted them.
But the villagers of Datunzi Village and Dagouzi Village were very simple and honest, without so many tricks, and were very kind to them.
This change in attitude may be due to the early customers’ attitudes, and partly because they helped the village with planting and fish farming.
It was a great feeling to be able to work together without having to worry about someone messing with us and holding us back, and they also started to like this place.
It was my first time to celebrate the New Year away from home, and I felt at peace.
"If you have any problems in the future, you can go to Gu's house to find my father and brothers. Don't forget, my father is now the leader of the production team, and he will definitely agree to anything you need."
"I know." At this point, Sun Yuanyuan couldn't help but say, "When your father first took office, everyone was not optimistic about him because his personality was rather..." She racked her brains and came up with a word: "gentle."
"Plus, the relationship between Captain Gu and Secretary Qin is rather delicate, and everyone is unsure."
"I didn't expect these two enemies to get together and do anything so bold. I heard that the commune leader was furious about the planting of medicinal herbs, blaming them for taking the initiative. No production team had ever done this before. Captain Gu passed the blame to Secretary Qin, who had a bad temper and confronted the commune leader. Captain Gu then smiled and said nice things to smooth things over, and the matter was just covered up."
Ye Zi gently nudged Sun Yuanyuan's arm, signaling her not to say this in front of someone else's daughter.
Sun Yuanyuan was a carefree person. Seeing Ye Zi constantly nudging her, she thought they were too close and moved to the side.
Ye Zigan glared: “…” This stupid guy.
Gu Qingqing touched her nose in embarrassment and said with a smile: "My father and Uncle Qin were childhood friends. When they were young, my father always blamed Uncle Qin for everything. Everyone thought he was a good guy. When Grandpa Qin beat Uncle Qin, he just said a few words to persuade him and the matter was forgotten."
I didn't expect that they would continue to use this trick when they were working together on the team.
Sun Yuanyuan nodded. "So that's how it is. But you know what, Captain Gu and Secretary Qin are really efficient when they work together. They made the decision on such a big project as digging a reservoir and building a power storage station. After the meeting that day, they went to the Red Flag Production Team and the Red Star Production Team to find their captains the next day. On the third day, the young men from the three teams were carrying hoes and heading up the mountain."
Gu Qingqing smiled and glanced at the man who was sitting at the table chatting with Meng Nan and watching them making dumplings. She thought that the people in the Gu family would do whatever they said immediately, otherwise she would feel uneasy.
Just like her, when she saw his photo, she wanted to rush to the Corps immediately.
Sun Yuanyuan washed the radish and cabbage, and went to the kitchen with the basin. "Qingqing, your brother said you are good at cooking. Help me light the pot. I will bring you some radish dumplings later. We deep-fry them during the Chinese New Year in my hometown. They are so delicious."
Gu Qingqing thought that her family didn't have dinner so early, and she had nothing to do now, so she said, "Okay." After that, she sat down in front of the stove, picked up some dry pine needles, lit them, and put them in the stove.
She chopped off a piece of bamboo tube and added it in. Soon, the fire in the stove became brighter.
Sun Yuanyuan picked up a bucket of black rapeseed oil. As soon as she opened it, a strong and fragrant aroma filled the air. She poured a little into the iron pot.
The radish leaves had been shredded and put into a large bowl, with shredded ginger and chopped green onions added. Two eggs were cracked, sugar and salt were added, and some mung bean powder was poured in. Then the bowl and chopsticks were handed to Sun Yuanyuan.
Sun Yuanyuan stirred the batter in the bowl, took a spoon and scooped it into the smoking pan.
Gu Qingqing smelled the burnt aroma of shredded radish and eggs and couldn't help but crane her neck to look into the pot.
Ye Zi reminded her: "Be careful not to get fried on yourself. I'll get you some in a bowl later. I'll give you more."
"Thank you Sister Yezi, Sister Yuanyuan's fried meatballs are so delicious, even without meat." She praised sincerely.
Sun Yuanyuan was happy: "Do you like to eat? Why don't you learn from me? Then I can cook for your Chu Dai."
"Forget it," Gu Qingqing said with her head down, "They don't dare to eat what I cook."
Ye Zi and Sun Yuanyuan looked at each other and knew that the girl from the Gu family had been spoiled by her family since she was a child and probably had never touched a spatula, so they didn't say anything.
Sometimes, cooking requires not only learning and practice, but also talent.
Ye Zi is a city girl. Her mother's cooking is not good. She has been doing it for decades but there has been no improvement. She has been eating in the factory canteen with her father since she was a child.
It didn't take long for the fried meatballs to be cooked. Gu Qingqing was already about 80% full while eating over a fire. It was just right for her to walk back home to digest the food, as there would be delicious fish and meat waiting for her in the evening.
We killed chickens and ducks at home today, so we will definitely have fish, shrimps, and snails to eat in the evening, as well as yesterday’s shepherd’s purse meatballs, which are refreshing and not greasy.
As I was thinking about it, I felt like eating something, so I finished the two shredded radish meatballs left in the bowl.
Seeing that she liked the food, Sun Yuanyuan was very happy. She asked Ye Zi to bring a large bowl and scooped a large bowl full of food with a colander.
Gu Qingqing thanked them and said, "I'll go back first. Sister Ye Zi, just add two pieces of hard wood to the stove. Bamboo doesn't burn easily."
"Okay, I'll go get the bowl when I have time. You don't have to come all the way over to deliver it."
Gu Qingqing nodded: "My brother Axiong has to go out to chop firewood every afternoon, let him bring it over when the time comes."
"That's fine."
Sun Yuanyuan had to watch the food in the pot, so it was not convenient to send it to her. Ye Zi sent her to the yard, helped her put a large bowl of carrot meatballs into the basket, and picked two grape leaves to cover it.
Before leaving, Gu Qingqing specifically asked Meng Nan: "Brother Meng Nan, if I want to grow vegetables on the island, do I also need to build a greenhouse?"
"No need." Meng Nan learned from Chu Dai that Gu Qingqing helped the Corps and the border town grow vegetables, and his eyes were full of smiles: "The sand by the sea is humid enough, and the temperature of the island in the south is also good, which is suitable for the growth of vegetables. Just remember to apply more fertilizer."
"Okay! Thank you, Brother Meng Nan, happy New Year's Eve! Eat and drink well!"
"Okay, okay, got it." Zhang Qing waved his hand and said, "Qingqing, go now. If you don't leave now, you'll be the one to take the pot of fried meatballs."
The men in the yard laughed loudly. Chu Dai was glared at by his wife. He rubbed his nose, restrained his smile, and followed her with the basket in his hand.
The corners of his mouth were raised but he couldn't suppress them.
Back at the Gu family's yard, the bicycle was parked at the gate, and Gu Qingqing said to the man next to her, "My father put it there, do you believe it?"
Chu Dai nodded and said with a smile: "I believe it."
Yesterday he saw his bicycle outside and wanted to move it in, but was stopped by his father-in-law.
They say it takes up space inside.
When Chu Dai saw the smug look on his face, he immediately understood what his father-in-law was thinking, but he didn't say anything. After that, he never drove the bicycle again.
Gu Qingqing pulled him in, "Big brother must be back. I have to ask Zhao if Dad has moved the car out again. I want to tease Dad."
Chu Dai followed her slowly and entered the yard. He saw a group of people surrounding his father. Chu Yuan was writing couplets with a brush in his hand.
Chu Dai: "..."
This is no different from Zhang Fei's embroidery.
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