She glanced around and saw the thermos flask still by the stove. She went over and picked it up, only to find it empty. That meant the hot water inside had been used by Li Ping. The bucket was also empty.
It turned out that Li Ping saw the thermos when she put the rice into the pot. Her face was too dirty, so she used the water in the bucket to make hot water and washed her face and hands clean.
Li Ping was a little scared when she saw Ye Huixian. Grandma Fu was easy to deal with, but Ye Huixian was not. Just by looking at how famous Ye's Clothing Shop was, you could tell how capable she was.
Ye Huixian handed the thermos and bucket to Fu Qingping, telling her to go back first. Then he poured the rice from the iron pot into Li Ping's earthenware pot, pulled out the half-burnt firewood, stomped it out, tied it with hemp rope, and took it back.
Li Ping was so angry she wanted to curse, but Ye Huixian turned around when he reached the door and said, "Make sure you get back the water and firewood you used today tomorrow, or I'll report you to the village chief for theft."
Li Ping kept her mouth shut. She had just been criticized today, and tomorrow she would be accused of theft. She didn't want to live like this anymore and might as well just jump into the river.
"Aunt Huixian, I was wrong, I'll repay you tomorrow," Li Ping quickly begged for forgiveness.
"Don't call me that. Who's your aunt? Just call me Comrade Ye." Ye Huixian gave her a disgusted look and walked out.
Li Ping was so angry she felt like she was going to vomit blood. She glanced at the still-burning firewood in the stove, quickly put the earthenware pot on it, and threw in a few sweet potatoes. There wasn't enough firewood, so she had to go out and find more.
By the time she returned with the firewood, the rice in the earthenware pot was already half-cooked. She quickly added the vegetables and salt, stirred it a few times with chopsticks, added some more firewood, and waited for the water to evaporate.
Li Qiang finally got to eat. Although the food didn't taste good, the conditions were tough, so he didn't care. He threw down his bowl and fell asleep immediately. He was in too much pain and too tired.
Li Ping glanced at Li Qiang, then silently went to sleep at the end of the kang (heated brick bed). It was still inconvenient for the two siblings to share a room. She would try to put a curtain in the middle, but where could she find any cloth? Relying on Li Qiang was not as good as relying on herself.
After Ye Chenming and Ye Chen'er returned, Fu Qingping recounted what had happened. The two praised Ye Huixian for doing the right thing: "Auntie, starting tomorrow you will cook with Grandma, and I will take care of the work in the cowshed," Ye Chenming said.
Ye Huixian quickly shook his head: "You've worked hard in the fields, let me do the cleaning. Just get up earlier."
Fu Qingping nodded: "Starting tomorrow, I'll cook breakfast and go out with you. I'll go collect firewood; I need to get familiar with this place."
Ye Chenming nodded: "Grandma, no rush. I'll bring back some straw for weaving hemp rope tomorrow and teach you how to weave it. You need to use hemp rope to tie up firewood."
Fu Qingping and Ye Huixian were somewhat surprised that they had to braid the rope themselves. However, they quickly realized that this was the countryside, where everything had to be created by one's own hands. Since they were here, they naturally had to get used to the local customs and traditions.
Early the next morning, Li Ping and Li Qiang gathered enough firewood before starting work, and went to the village committee to buy two old buckets and a carrying pole. As for an iron pot, that was out of the question.
After lunch, Li Ping begged Ye Huixian to use their iron pot to boil water to pay off the debt, because the two of them had to go to the threshing ground for education, and there would definitely not be enough time to boil water in an earthenware pot. Ye Huixian thought about it and agreed. It was just a bottle of water, and it was enough to teach them a lesson. There was no need to go too far.
Today's criticism session wasn't as intense as yesterday's. Apart from a few children and a few people throwing small stones and mud, everyone else just went through the motions. After working so hard in the fields, they should rest more.
More than a month passed like this, and Mushroom Village entered the season of falling snow. Yan Xiaonan did not become estranged from them as Ye Chen'er had imagined. On the contrary, he often went with Ye Chen'er to cut grass and collect firewood.
When Fu Qingping and Ye Huixian first saw Yan Xiaonan, they were somewhat shocked. This girl shouldn't be from the countryside, right? How could she be so beautiful and graceful?
When they learned that Yan Xiaonan was a native of Mushroom Village, they couldn't help but lament their ignorance and lack of knowledge.
Ye Huixian took Yan Xiaonan's hand and said, "You must be Nannan. Thank you for letting Ma Mingchun teach me how to clean the cowshed, and thank you even more for taking care of Chen'er and Chenming."
Fu Qingping nodded repeatedly: "Nannan, your family saved Chen'er. My Ye family cannot repay you for the time being, but we will remember this kindness. I believe that we will definitely have the opportunity to repay you in the near future."
Yan Xiaonan was at a loss for words. He had come to deliver a letter, not to ask for gratitude. Besides, Ye Chen'er had taken the blame for him, and it seemed that Ye Chen'er hadn't mentioned it to her family at all.
It turned out that Ye Chenming was worried that he wouldn't receive letters from home, so he discussed with Yan Xiaonan that if it was convenient, his father could send the letters to Yan Xiaonan, who would then pass them on to him.
Yan Xiaonan readily agreed. There was nothing inconvenient about it. Just look at how Li Qiang and the others were criticized every day, while the Ye family remained unscathed. She knew that their family must have a strong backing to protect them, so there was nothing to worry about.
Fu Qingping was going to the kitchen to cook. Nan Nan was coming today, so he should treat her to a nice meal. Yan Xiaonan refused, saying that their own grain was enough to feed pigs, so why should they eat someone else's food?
Ye Huixian was very good at reading people's expressions. He quickly took out a piece of Shanghai specialty, braised pork, from a bag in the corner of the room and gave it to Yan Xiaonan. Yan Xiaonan looked at the piece of braised pork and felt a little sad. Her mother in her previous life could also make this.
Seeing that Yan Xiaonan accepted, Fu Qingping was very happy. What a sensible child! He quickly saw Yan Xiaonan out the door, glanced at Ye Chenming, and saw that his face was very pale, so he couldn't help but worry.
Fu Qingping strongly suppressed the urge to ask, and quietly waited for Ye Chenming to speak. After a long, long time, at least five minutes, Ye Chenming finally handed the letter to his grandmother.
"Grandma, Li Funian is really too vicious. He ate our food, used our products, and now he wants to report us."
Fu Qingping calmly looked at the letter in his hand, shook his head, and smiled: "Chen'er, Chenming, do you know why Li Funian did this?"
The two shook their heads; how could they possibly know?
“We’ve taken too good care of the Li family, and we’ve spoiled them. But it’s okay, Chenming’s father will handle it,” Fu Qingping explained.
Ye Huixian suddenly remembered what his good friend had told him: "Huixian, can your family stay away from the Li family? Do you know what they say about you behind your backs?"
"What can I say?" Ye Huixian asked, puzzled.
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