These past few days, Su Yao and Zhao Yu have been cooking for themselves, eating simple dry food, biscuits, and malted milk powder every day.
"I'm so tired of eating cookies every day. Let's try something different today and make some porridge," Su Yao complained helplessly, looking at the bag of dry food.
“Indeed, it’s time for a change of pace,” Zhao Yu nodded in agreement.
Without further ado, the two began preparing to cook porridge. However, the first day of intense labor in the fields left them exhausted, and their hands ached unbearably from the long hours of work, making even the simple act of cooking porridge difficult.
"What should I do? My hands hurt so badly, I'm afraid I can't make this porridge." Su Yao looked at her swollen hands, her brows furrowed, her face full of worry.
"How about we ask someone for help?" Zhao Yu suggested after thinking for a moment.
"Okay, I'll go ask Liu Cui if she'd be willing to help," Su Yao said, getting up and heading towards Liu Cui's room.
Su Yao arrived at Liu Cui's door and gently knocked.
"Who is it?" Liu Cui's voice came from inside the house.
“Liu Cui, it’s me, Su Yao,” Su Yao replied.
Liu Cui opened the door and saw Su Yao standing there. She asked, "Su Yao, what's up?"
Su Yao looked embarrassed and said, "Liu Cui, it's like this, Zhao Yu and I wanted to cook some porridge to improve our meals, but after working in the fields today, our hands hurt so badly that we really can't cook porridge ourselves. Could you help us cook some porridge and fetch some water? We'll give you two cents as payment."
Upon hearing this, Liu Cui's eyes lit up instantly, and she was secretly delighted. Two cents was no small sum; for her, it was a great opportunity to earn money. She had grown up in a family that favored sons over daughters, where resources were always given to her brothers, and she often felt neglected. After coming to the countryside, she knew firsthand how hard life was, and she had to be extremely careful with every penny, fearing she might starve to death in this unfamiliar place. So, how could she not be excited to hear that she could earn two cents for helping with chores?
"No problem, I'll take care of it!" Liu Cui agreed without hesitation, her tone full of cheerfulness. She secretly made up her mind to do this job well and earn this hard-earned two cents.
"Thank you so much, Liu Cui." Su Yao's face showed gratitude.
She deftly rolled up her sleeves and began to work. As she busied herself, Liu Cui mentally calculated: Su Yao and Zhao Yu clearly weren't very good at cooking. If she could seize this opportunity and cook for them regularly, she could have a stable income. For Liu Cui, who grew up in a family that favored sons over daughters and had experienced the hardships of life, this was undoubtedly a rare opportunity.
"Liu Cui, you have to cook this porridge properly. We're both really looking forward to having a hot bowl of porridge," Su Yao couldn't help but remind her.
"Don't worry, Su Yao, I know what I'm doing," Liu Cui replied confidently, her hands moving swiftly as she skillfully washed the rice, put it in the pot, carefully added water, and lit the stove.
Flames danced merrily in the stove, illuminating Liu Cui's focused and attentive face. She controlled the heat, stirring the porridge occasionally to ensure every grain was heated evenly.
While the porridge was cooking, Liu Cui decided to make a side dish to enrich the meal. She found some fresh vegetables in a corner, carefully washed and chopped them, and put them in a large bowl. Then, she skillfully added appropriate amounts of salt, vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil, and quickly stirred it evenly with chopsticks. In no time, a refreshing and delicious side dish was ready, its vibrant colors and enticing aroma making one's appetite soar.
After a while, Liu Cui finished cooking the porridge. The porridge bubbled and steamed in the pot, emitting a rich aroma that filled the entire kitchen, seemingly possessing a warm, comforting quality. Then, she went to the well in the yard, laboriously drew water, and filled the water vat. Fine beads of sweat covered her forehead, and her clothes were partially soaked, but she didn't seem to care. She simply wiped the sweat away and brought the porridge and mixed vegetables to Su Yao and Zhao Yu, smiling as she said, "The porridge is ready, the water is ready, and I even made a mixed vegetable dish to go with it. What do you think?"
Su Yao and Zhao Yu looked at the steaming porridge and the delicious-looking mixed vegetables, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes. The subtle aroma of rice and the refreshing fragrance of the mixed vegetables mingled together, making their mouths water.
"It smells quite nice, Liu Cui, thank you for your hard work," Zhao Yu said, his eyes revealing his gratitude towards Liu Cui.
"It's no trouble at all, I'm just glad I could help you," Liu Cui replied with a smile, a hint of expectation in her eyes. She desperately hoped her efforts would be recognized, earning her the long-term opportunity to cook.
Su Yao took a sip of the porridge, then picked up a bite of the mixed vegetables and put it in her mouth, savoring it carefully. Although the porridge couldn't compare to the delicacies of the city, it was already quite good in this relatively resource-scarce countryside.
"It tastes pretty good, Liu Cui, your cooking is quite good," Su Yao said, a satisfied smile on her face.
Liu Cui felt a surge of joy upon hearing this. She felt that her efforts had not been in vain and that all her sacrifices were worthwhile.
At this moment, Su Yao said again, "Liu Cui, you're quite good at cooking. Why don't you help us cook from now on? We'll pay you a monthly wage. What do you think?"
Liu Cui was overjoyed, but the hardships she had endured for so long made her feel slightly uneasy. She subconsciously rubbed her hands together and said, "Let me think." But in reality, she was already ecstatic.
Back home, Liu Cui felt incredibly conflicted. On one hand, she was excited about the stable income that was coming her way, but on the other hand, she was annoyed with herself for her behavior earlier. After much internal struggle, she mustered her courage and approached Su Yao, saying, "I'm willing to cook." Su Yao and Zhao Yu smiled happily upon hearing this.
Lin Qian stood quietly to the side, her gaze fixed on Liu Cui, who was running back and forth busily. A complex emotion flickered in her eyes, as if she were deep in thought.
At this moment, 003 walked up to Lin Qian.
Lin Qian turned to 003 and said, "003, you know what? Liu Cui isn't actually that bad. She's just a bit sharp-tongued, but she did help the original owner in my previous life. So after I transmigrated, even though she wasn't very nice to me and was always rude, I didn't really hold it against her. That's why."
003 listened and nodded slightly to show her understanding: "Oh, I see. You're quite forgiving."
Lin Qian sighed softly: "It's not that I'm being lenient, it's just that I feel everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, and we can't completely deny her just because of some of her shortcomings. Besides, I think we should still remember the kindness we received in our past life."
003 said thoughtfully, "Hmm, you make a good point. So, how do you plan to get along with Liu Cui in the future?"
Lin Qian thought for a moment and replied, "Let's try to get along peacefully. Although she has a sharp tongue, I can tolerate her as long as she doesn't go too far. After all, in this place, it's always better to have one more friend than one more enemy."
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