For the villagers of Mushroom Village, building two houses and two heated brick beds is really not a big deal. Why build two houses? What if it's a man and a woman?
Tang Jianjun didn't need Village Chief Ma's instructions at all. He cut down timber to make two more kangqin (a type of traditional Chinese stringed instrument). Since two houses had been built, of course two kangqin needed to be placed there.
Village Chief Ma was very satisfied. If all the villagers were like Yan Jiazi or Tang Jianjun, how much easier it would be for him. What a pity, such capable people are always rare. No need to think too much about it.
Yan Xiaonan, along with Ye Chen'er and the others, helped gather firewood to heat the kang (a traditional heated brick bed). Yan Xiaonan held these "bad elements" sent down to the countryside in high esteem; they were all cultured, knowledgeable, or even capable people, and he should take this opportunity to learn from them.
Li Ping was also gathering firewood when she saw Yan Xiaonan and Ye Chen'er together. She said sarcastically, "Don't do anything wrong with your good intentions. They're bad elements. Don't get dragged into it."
Ye Chen'er scoffed, "Are you any worse than me?"
Li Ping choked for a moment, then spat at Ye Chen'er: "Why didn't you let the flower sellers take it away?"
Yan Xiaonan closed his eyes, controlled the wind direction, and blew the phlegm that Li Ping had spat out back. Li Ping was cursing when she didn't expect that what she spat out would be blown back by the wind, and she couldn't help but swallow it.
This action made Ye Chen'er so disgusted that she almost vomited. Not only Ye Chen'er felt disgusted, but Li Ping herself also felt disgusted, her stomach was churning, but she tried her best to control herself. Food was precious, and she couldn't afford to vomit.
Yan Xiaonan smiled, her superpower had been upgraded again, allowing her to control the wind direction on a small scale.
Ye Chenming could see it clearly from a distance. He didn't think it was a natural phenomenon, but rather Nan Nan's innate ability, like how she could walk on flat ground on the mountain, and how wolves were happier to see her than to see food.
Li Ping lost face in front of the group and left angrily, thinking to herself that she was really unlucky. Could it be that Ye Chen'er was really luckier than her? Otherwise, why did she always manage to escape danger?
Li Ping learned her lesson and wouldn't do anything she wasn't sure about. Life went on peacefully and busily. During the busy farming season, things were chaotic, but after the busy season, life was leisurely and carefree. Winter slowly arrived in one peaceful day after another.
The two bad elements were brought here by Village Chief Ma. If Ye Chenming and Ye Chen'er saw them, they would be shocked. Who were these two people? They were his grandmother and aunt.
The two were originally sent down to a more remote and impoverished place to be reformed and put to work. Fortunately, the Ye family secretly helped them arrange for them to be sent to Mushroom Village.
It's better to have someone take care of you than no one. Even if Ye Chenming and Ye Chen'er are implicated, it's just that everyone will live in the cowshed together, and their lives will be saved.
Yan Xiaonan was very interested in the two of them. She wanted to know why they had been sent to the countryside. Her thoughts drifted over to the old woman's fair face, which was covered with wrinkles, a kind of weariness after being weathered by the elements.
The other was a woman in her thirties, with a dignified and elegant appearance. It was clear at a glance that she was a well-educated lady from a respectable family. Even in the cowshed, she remained calm and composed, thanking Village Chief Ma with neither arrogance nor servility, for his hard work.
This is a mother and daughter who, because they run a clothing shop, are classified as having bourgeois ideology and are subject to supervision and criticism from the working people. They are told to work hard and correct their thinking.
Village Chief Ma sighed, "They're not landlords or rich people who exploit the working class to get rich. They make a living with their skills. Is that not allowed?"
However, now not only can you not speak carelessly, you also have to keep a certain distance from them: "Once you're settled, go to the village committee to collect your grain. From now on, cleaning the cowshed will be your responsibility."
The cowshed smelled terrible. Ma Mingchun and Fenqiu were boys after all. While they were good at herding cattle, they were rather careless about cleaning the cowshed, which made the smell worse and worse.
In just a short while, Village Chief Ma felt he couldn't stay any longer. He quickly turned around and left, inwardly cursing himself for not working hard enough and thinking he'd have to give him a good talking to when he got back.
At the same time, I really felt sorry for the mother and daughter, so I decided to be a little more generous with the food I gave them tomorrow, so that at least they could have one more meal.
Yan Xiaonan also had a plan in mind. These two people were obviously capable. Even the village chief ran away in a hurry. There was no disgust on their faces. Instead, they were methodically organizing the things they had brought.
The items were very simple: two thin quilts, which were not thick enough to last through the winter in Mushroom Village, and two cotton-padded coats made of coarse cloth with patches.
Yan Xiaonan's senses were truly remarkable. Through the coarse cloth, she saw the true nature of the two cotton-padded jackets: they were actually made of brocade. The collars and the frog buttons were exquisitely crafted. Who had such superb skills?
The lining on the reverse side should be made of feather yarn, and the middle layer is not cotton but goose down. I don't know where they got the goose down. It must be very light and warm to wear.
The two opened the window, cleaned the kang (heated brick bed) and kangqin (heated brick bed), laid out bedding, and put cotton-padded jackets and other daily necessities into the kangqin. Then the mother went to check the place for cooking and boiling water, while the daughter went to check what was needed in the cowshed.
Yan Xiaonan regained consciousness and then found Ma Mingchun, telling him to go to the cowshed and teach the mother and daughter how to clean it and how to raise cattle. Ma Mingchun was delighted to hear that someone was helping him clean the cowshed.
He quickly grabbed his tools and went to the cowshed. Under his guidance, the young woman finally learned how to do it. She took out a piece of candy from her pocket and handed it to Ma Mingchun: "Thank you, little brother. Here, have this."
Ma Mingchun shook his head. Although he really wanted to eat it, Nan Nan had asked him to help out, so he couldn't eat her food.
The woman found it strange. Don't children in the countryside all like to eat sweets? Why doesn't this child like to eat them?
Ma Mingchun said, "Keep it for yourself. I wouldn't have come if Nannan hadn't asked me to help you."
The woman's eyes flickered, and she silently thought of Nan Nan. But who was Nan Nan? Why was she helping her? Was it out of kindness or malice? Don't blame yourself for overthinking; it's like rowing against the current, everything seems treacherous.
Ye Chen'er was cooking at the educated youth settlement when she heard from Wang Yan that two bad elements had arrived—a mother and daughter. They looked dignified and composed, but it wouldn't be long before they turned into complete village women.
While Wang Yan was rambling on and on, Ye Chen'er's heart was pounding. A mother and daughter, both of them looked dignified and composed. Could they be her grandmother and aunt? Her cousin had told her that they had been reported by his maternal grandmother and taken away.
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