The riverbank wasn't far from her little house.
The river water flowing from the mountains in the morning was still a bit cool.
I splashed water on my face and felt refreshed.
Seeing that no one was around, Xu Ningyan took out toothpaste and a toothbrush from her spatial storage and quickly washed herself. She then cleaned the old earthenware pot, filled it with water, and returned to the hut.
Rinse the rice and put it in a pot, then simmer it over low heat.
He took a few eggs out of his spatial storage and washed them by the river. He also picked a few tender water celery stalks by the river, washed them, and brought them back to the cottage.
The cleaned eggs were added to the porridge and continued to cook.
Finely chop the water celery, and once the porridge is cooked, sprinkle it in and stir. You'll have a fragrant vegetable porridge.
While waiting for the porridge to be ready, Xu Ningyan noticed the mangy dog lying at a distance, refusing to move.
Thinking that this dog was just as ambitious and insightful as he was, he decided to reward it.
I found the bones left over from last night's braised pork knuckle in my storage space and tossed them to the mangy dog.
The mangy dog calmly picked up the bone and went to gnaw on it.
Xu Ningyan couldn't help but say, "Limp, you ate my bone, so you're my dog from now on! Do you hear me? From now on, you'll be called 'Limp'!"
Whether the mangy dog understood or not, it wagged its tail twice with its back to Xu Ningyan.
Xu Ningyan assumed it understood.
Since I live alone anyway, having a dog is a good idea. It can guard the house and remind me of any noises at night.
She has space, so she's not worried about it not surviving.
The rice porridge in the pot was fragrant. Xu Ningyan calculated that the time was almost up, scooped out the eggs, put them in a small straw basket, ran to the riverbank, threw them into the river water to chill for two minutes, and then scooped them out.
After simmering for a while longer, the porridge had thickened. Then, the chopped celery was sprinkled in. The aroma of rice mingled with the fresh scent of celery. A little salt was added, and the porridge was stirred well. The aroma alone was enough to whet one's appetite.
Xu Ningyan didn't have any extra bowls here; in fact, she didn't have any bowls at all.
He plucked two handfuls of green grass, tied them to the handles on either side of the earthenware pot, and then picked up the small grass basket containing the eggs, heading towards the shed where Gu Zhiyuan lived.
She got up early and kept an eye on the cowshed, knowing that Gu Zhiyuan hadn't gotten up yet.
When he got to the door, he didn't have a free hand to knock, so he just called out to the inside, "Comrade Gu? Get up! I've already made breakfast. I know you don't like sweets, so I specially made vegetable porridge. Would you like to try some?"
Gu Zhiyuan didn't sleep well last night. Even after closing the door and lying in bed, his ears were still ringing.
He finally drifted off to sleep, but in his dream, a loudspeaker kept chasing him, calling out "Comrade Gu, Comrade Gu," which terrified him so much that he ran around in his dream all night.
I woke up feeling dizzy and lightheaded.
He was about to raise his hand to rub his temples to clear his head.
He heard shouts outside, his hand slipped, and his fingernail poked the corner of his eye, causing him to hiss in pain.
My first thought was, "How did this loudspeaker come to life and even chase me out of my dreams?"
The loudspeaker's voice grew increasingly familiar: "Comrade Gu, I know you're awake! Come out quickly, stop hiding! You only have one door; you can't stay inside all day, can you?"
"Comrade Gu, I just brought you some food to express my gratitude!"
"Comrade Gu, if you don't come out soon, the porridge will get cold! Even if you don't eat, I want to eat! This pot of porridge is so big, I can't finish it all by myself! I don't have any bowls or chopsticks here, could you come out and lend me a bowl?"
"Comrade Gu—"
Gu Zhiyuan was starting to doubt whether his name was Gu Zhiyuan or Comrade Gu.
My head hurts even more!
Gu Zhiyuan looked up at the roof, then pinched his brow in exasperation to clear his head.
I quickly got dressed and made the bed.
As soon as he opened the door, he was met by a person and a dog, both staring straight at him.
If Gu Zhiyuan hadn't had such good self-control, he probably would have closed the door on the spot.
Seeing Gu Zhiyuan come out, Xu Ningyan waved to him with a grin, then pointed to the earthenware pot and the eggs in the basket in front of her: "Comrade Gu, a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative! I've been separated from my family and have nothing! I can't even afford to cook breakfast, so I've shamelessly come to borrow a bowl from you, my neighbor. Don't worry, I'll only borrow it this once, and I'll return it to you after I've eaten it! I'll take leave to go to the commune to buy one later, really, I swear!"
He even raised his finger.
Gu Zhiyuan rubbed his temples, truly at a loss with this girl.
Looking at her pitiful appearance, if I don't lend her the money, she'll probably start making a fuss again.
To keep her quiet, I'd rather give her the bowl than borrow it!
He went back inside and got a clean enamel bowl and a pair of chopsticks, which he handed to Xu Ningyan: "Take these, you don't need to return them."
Firstly, he is a germaphobe; he will never use bowls and chopsticks that have been used by others again.
Secondly, this little girl is indeed quite pitiful. She is all alone after separating from the family, and she doesn't even have bowls and chopsticks. How could she possibly have the money to buy them from the commune?
He had some extra anyway, so he gave it to her to use, which was a way of helping her out.
Xu Ningyan didn't know what Gu Zhiyuan was thinking; she just thought that the big shot was indeed rich and powerful.
Even after being sent down to the countryside, he was still so generous to people.
We've made the right choice in clinging to this powerful patron; we can't let go of him even if it kills
His eyes lit up instantly, and he quickly took the bowl and chopsticks, as if afraid that Gu Zhiyuan would change his mind.
"Thank you, Comrade Gu! I've accepted your bowl and chopsticks, and you should accept this breakfast I made too! If you don't, it means you look down on what I have and think it's worthless!"
What else could Gu Zhiyuan say? To have some peace and quiet, he could only nod.
He went back inside and grabbed a lunchbox and a spoon. He scooped out a bowl of porridge, and Xu Ningyan stuffed three boiled eggs into his mouth: "Comrade Gu, eat more eggs! Help yourself, you look too thin!"
Gu Zhiyuan looked at himself, then at Xu Ningyan's frail body that seemed like it could be blown away by a gust of wind, and fell silent.
However, seeing that there were still three eggs in the basket, he silently accepted them, thanked the seller, and turned to go back into the house.
Looking at the vegetable porridge and three eggs on the table, and listening to Xu Ningyan humming a song as she slowly walked away, Gu Zhiyuan pinched the bridge of his nose again. What was wrong with him this morning?
Didn't we agree not to have too much contact or interaction with the people from the Unity Brigade?
Why did I accept that girl's breakfast today, and even give her an enamel bowl and a pair of chopsticks?
It wasn't that she was reluctant to part with the things, but the enamel bowl clearly wasn't something that could be found here. If someone with ulterior motives saw it, the relationship between that girl and herself might become unclear.
If something were to happen, wouldn't that implicate that girl?
It's true that I didn't sleep well last night, so my mind was muddled and I did something that gave others a handle to use against me.
Gu Zhiyuan frowned, stared at the porridge and eggs for a long time, and then sat down.
I tasted a mouthful of the porridge first, and the temperature was just right now.
The rice grains melt in your mouth, and the aroma of celery and other vegetables enhances the sweetness of the porridge and the fragrance of the greens. As it flows smoothly into your stomach, it feels exceptionally comforting and soothing.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
