Li Jianguo pondered for a moment. Everything else was negotiable, but it was Gu Zhiyuan's so-called employee welfare benefits that moved him.
Logically speaking, the department store employees shouldn't lack anything, but that's not how it works.
Rural areas have their own difficulties, and cities have theirs.
Each month's food ration is fixed, consisting of coarse grains and refined grains, which is barely enough to keep the whole family from going hungry.
If you occasionally crave some refined grains or meat, you have to risk going to the black market.
These days, who doesn't crave meat?
If it were truly feasible, they could use the official name to purchase some grain and wild game from the Unity Brigade.
Isn't it better than going to the black market?
The more I think about it, the more excited I get!
Li Jianguo slapped the brigade leader's hand and said, "Your idea is good! But I have to go back and report to the leaders and see what they decide! Here's what we'll do: have your brigade prepare the recommendation and introduction letters first, and I'll take them back with me! If it works out, I'll get your onboarding done and notify you to start work! If it doesn't work out, I'll figure something out for you!"
That's what they say, but even Xu Ningyan could tell that it was pretty much true.
Having finished discussing business, Li Jianguo felt relieved and began to observe the small courtyard.
Gu Zhiyuan stayed by his side, occasionally chiming in with a few words, so the conversation wasn't too awkward.
Xu Ningyan remembered that the dough in the kitchen hadn't been kneaded yet, and given Gu Zhiyuan's family background, even if he wasn't so ostracized because of her, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to eat at the brigade leader's house.
Although the captain verbally invited them to go together, he didn't mention Gu Zhiyuan's name. They should have known better than to go and make themselves a nuisance.
We need to cook for Gu Zhiyuan first.
Moreover, the captain was treating her to a meal because of her situation; it wouldn't be very kind of her to go empty-handed and with her mouth still open.
So they added two extra ladles of flour, made the noodles, left some for Gu Zhiyuan to eat, and took the rest with him.
She worked quickly and efficiently. After kneading the dough, she originally planned to make ramen. Back then, she had specially gone to learn how to make ramen from a master in Lanzhou for a month.
Although it can't compare to the exquisite skills of a ramen chef, it's not far off.
However, I thought I couldn't ruin the character. After all, Xu Siya is a little girl who has never left the Red Star Commune. Where would she have learned this skill?
The only option is to change it to knife-cut noodles.
Cut the noodles, put them in a pot, cook them until done, take them out, rinse them with cold water, take them out again, mix them with a little sesame oil, and then spread them out in a bamboo sieve.
Crush the garlic into a paste, soak it in a little cold boiled water, and shred the cucumber.
I prepared another large bowl of cold noodle seasoning sauce.
When serving, simply pour on the seasoning sauce, cucumber shreds, and garlic water, then mix well.
At this time, the tomatoes are still green. Otherwise, if you cut the sweet and sour tomatoes into strips and put them in cold noodles, that would be much more appetizing.
The cold noodles had just been made when the brigade leader's grandson came to call for us.
Xu Ningyan left Gu Zhiyuan with enough food, and then took a basket and put the noodles, cucumber strips, and seasoning sauce in a small jar into it.
He told Gu Zhiyuan to eat in peace, and then took Li Jianguo to go out.
Li Jianguo knew that Gu Zhiyuan's position was awkward, so he patted him on the shoulder, said nothing, and followed Xu Ningyan out the door.
I hadn't gone far when I couldn't help but look into the basket.
Having traveled extensively and tasted cuisines from many places, the aroma of the tangy and spicy sauce made his mouth water: "Is this for noodles? It smells amazing! I never knew you had this skill, Yan girl!"
Xu Ningyan smiled and said, "Then Uncle Jianguo can try my cooking at noon."
They entered the brigade leader's house, chatting and laughing.
They encountered many people along the way, and although they thought of striking up a conversation, they didn't dare to approach Li Jianguo when they saw him standing nearby.
He followed them at a distance, watching them enter the brigade leader's house, before reluctantly returning home.
As soon as you enter the brigade leader's house, you can smell the delicious aroma of meat.
The dining table was set up under the camphor tree in the courtyard, with a large casserole in the middle. A chicken head stared dead at the gate of the courtyard; there were also two crucian carp, braised with broad bean paste, sprinkled with chopped green peppers and scallions, which looked very appetizing; a large bowl of cucumber and eel stew; a plate of scallion-fried eggs; a plate of cured pork skin stewed with broad beans, and water spinach, which was quite a feast.
Director Zhang, the brigade leader, and the party secretary were already waiting at the dinner table. When they saw Li Jianguo come in, they all stood up to greet him.
Qian Chunlan, the team leader's wife, who hadn't come out of the kitchen the whole time, was preparing to cook rice with a pained expression on her face!
That old geezer, he didn't even give me a heads-up before preparing a whole table of delicious food.
That's bad enough, but two of them are leaders of the commune and leaders of the county. How are we supposed to cook this meal?
There isn't much refined grain left at home; most of it is broken rice. We only have about a pound or two of the best indica rice, which we save for the children and elderly in the family to make porridge when they have a headache, fever, or feel unwell.
There are at least five or six people coming from outside; how can one or two pounds of rice be enough?
Looking up, I saw Xu Ningyan coming in carrying a basket, and my eyes lit up immediately.
As expected, after greeting everyone in the yard, Xu Ningyan carried a basket into the kitchen.
Qian Chunlan immediately noticed the nearly full basket of slightly yellow noodles. These were noodles made from standard flour. Although they weren't as white as those made from high-gluten flour, they were still quite rare.
This much noodle looks like enough for all the people outside.
Qian Chunlan immediately felt relieved, and her gaze towards Xu Ningyan softened. She still declined, saying, "Our brigade is all thanks to you today. Why are you being so formal at my house? Bring your own noodles."
After saying that, seeing that no one was behind them, he asked again, "Where is Comrade Gu?"
Xu Ningyan smiled as she placed the basket on the stove: "I brought it because I don't want to be a stranger to you, Auntie! Brother Gu and I were discussing having cold noodles this morning, and I only got the good news after I had kneaded half of the dough. In this weather, the noodles would have gone to waste by evening! I knew you're generous and wouldn't stand on ceremony with me, so I dared to bring it. If it were someone else's house, I'd be worried they'd have second thoughts!"
He then replied to Qian Chunlan, "He hasn't fully recovered yet. I made him a meal, and he's resting at home. Auntie, don't worry about him!"
Qian Chunlan nodded to herself.
She started worrying as soon as she started cooking, partly because she was worried that there wouldn't be enough refined grains to serve the leaders properly.
Secondly, she was afraid that Gu Zhiyuan would also come to dinner. No matter how good Gu Zhiyuan was, his family background was not good. If he really came, what would happen if her husband got implicated?
Seeing that Xu Ningyan had only come with Li Jianguo, and had brought enough noodles, and that she had spoken in a way that saved everyone's face, they finally felt relieved.
"Then I really won't stand on ceremony with you. We're really running out of fine grains at home! We were just worried about it! Your basket of noodles has really saved me!"
After saying that, she pushed Xu Ningyan out to eat, so she wouldn't have to stay in the kitchen.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
