Her eyes widened, and the rolling pin in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud".
"Master!"
She rushed over.
"Why didn't you send a message beforehand? I could have prepared some meat and vegetables."
"It was a last-minute decision."
Seeing his wife's expression, Su Jianguo's voice softened.
"We're running out of planks, so I have to go into town to buy more. I'll stop by and see you all on the way."
Wang Xiulan's eyes reddened slightly, and she hurriedly turned around and walked into the house.
"Come in and rest, I'll get you some hot water to wash up. Look at you, covered in mud, you look like you were dug out of the ground."
Back inside.
Wang Xiulan came out of the inner room carrying a copper basin, and steam rose up from it.
Su Jianguo immediately squatted down to wash his hands, and the water quickly became murky.
"By the way, how is everything at home?"
Wang Xiulan handed over a towel, smiling as she spoke.
"That's fine."
She then turned and went to the closet to find clean clothes.
"Mingfu goes to the hospital every day, saying he wants to teach Brother Wu to read. Yufen, with Da Mao and Er Mao, can help me out, and they can also go dig for wild vegetables together."
Su Jianguo slowed down his face wiping motion.
"Where are those two beasts?"
This is also what Su Jianguo is most worried about.
Those two unfilial sons, Su Mingqiang and Su Mingde, are not something their wives can handle.
"After the family split up... he never came back."
She whispered and stuffed the clothes into her husband's hands.
"I ran into Li Jinhua's neighbor the day before yesterday. She said the young couple argues every day, and Mingqiang even sold his job. I don't know what they'll do in the future..."
"Serves you right!"
Su Jianguo slammed the towel into the basin.
Wang Xiulan sighed, then continued.
"But Yuzhen, ever since that incident, seems like a completely different person."
She pointed to the west wing, her voice full of worry.
"He would sit on the kang (a heated brick bed) all day, hugging his knees and staring blankly, barely eating a couple of bites of the food that was brought to him before putting it down..."
It's clear that Zhang Qiang's incident had a significant impact on Su Yuzhen.
"After going hungry for a few meals, they'll know how to eat."
Upon hearing this, Su Jianguo said there was no problem.
"Making a scene over a scoundrel? What a loser!"
Wang Xiulan was immediately somewhat dissatisfied.
"My dear husband, the child is suffering..."
Who hasn't suffered losses when they were young?
Su Jianguo was a little angry, but his tone softened unconsciously when facing his wife.
"When I first started working, my supervisor would chase me with a shovel and beat me all the time, but I still got through it. She gradually came to terms with it herself."
A burnt smell wafted from the kitchen, and Wang Xiulan cried out "Oh no!" and ran back.
Su Jianguo followed her and saw her hurriedly lifting the lid of the iron pot. In the steaming heat, the edges of the flatbread had already turned black.
"It tastes good even when it's burnt."
He grabbed a piping hot pancake, broke it open to reveal its golden filling.
The sweet aroma of cornmeal mixed with the crispy texture makes for a really good flavor.
Wang Xiulan chuckled.
"You..."
Su Jianguo was chewing on a cornbread when he suddenly remembered something and asked his wife.
"By the way, has Zhang Qiang been sentenced yet?"
"The verdict is in."
Wang Xiulan scooped a full bowl of stew and pushed it towards him.
"Officer Li came and said he was to be executed. Yuzhen cried so hard that day..."
Her voice grew softer and softer, finally turning into a sigh.
The two ate their lunch in silence.
Su Jianguo devoured three pancakes and two bowls of vegetables in a whirlwind.
"I have to leave in a bit."
Su Jianguo suddenly said.
"I arranged for a horse-drawn carriage from the lumber mill this afternoon."
Wang Xiulan's chopsticks stopped in mid-air.
"Not staying overnight?"
"They're waiting to use the ingredients over there."
He got up and took out an oil paper package from his canvas bag.
"Here, some steamed rice cakes I bought in town."
Wang Xiulan accepted the snacks, deeply moved.
She opened her mouth, but in the end, she only said...
"I'll pack some pickled radishes for you to take with you."
As Su Jianguo pushed his bicycle out of the hospital gate, Wang Xiulan suddenly chased after him and stuffed a cloth bag into his bicycle basket.
"The newly made insoles are damp with mountain dew."
Su Jianguo nodded, pushed off with his feet, and rode out of the alley.
Ten days later, the earthen walls of all four greenhouses were completed.
Standing on the highest hillside, Su Jianguo looked at the four solid earthen walls and felt a surge of accomplishment.
"Brother Jianguo!"
Zhang Dazhu came running up, panting.
"The hospital called and said Ermaitai can be discharged!"
Su Jianguo's eyes lit up.
"Great! I'll go pick him up right now!"
Immediately, Su Jianguo borrowed a tractor from the village and drove it into the city.
In the hospital corridor, he saw Wu Ermaitai, who had already packed his luggage.
"Second Brother!"
Su Jianguo walked over quickly.
Wu Ermai turned around, looking quite well, his eyes already sparkling again.
"Brother Jianguo!"
He grinned, revealing his uneven teeth.
The doctor handed over the discharge certificate and gave instructions.
"The wound has completely healed, but you still need to rest and avoid heavy work."
"Don't worry, doctor."
Su Jianguo patted Wu Ermaitai on the shoulder.
"I'll assign him the lightest work!"
On the way back to the village, Wu Ermaitai looked at the scenery outside the window with the excitement of a child.
Su Jianguo drove the tractor while telling him about the greenhouse.
"Second brother, I've built you a small hut next to the greenhouse. You can live there and help me look after the vegetable garden."
Wu Ermaitai was immediately very excited.
"Really? I have a new house?"
Of course!
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