Then came the low, whimpering sounds of the lackeys.
Gu Zhiyuan scoffed, "Why would I talk to a dog like you?"
The lackey barked twice defiantly.
Gu Zhiyuan laughed in exasperation: "I don't need you to remind me, I'll go skin and clean the rabbit right now and cook it for Aning today!"
As they were talking, they heard the courtyard gate open, and then the person and the dog walked away.
Xu Ningyan never expected that Gu Zhiyuan would have this side to him when he was alone, able to chat with his lackeys.
Unable to fall asleep, I rolled over, stretched, and slowly opened the door.
The afternoon sun was still scorching, and a wave of heat hit me as soon as I opened the door.
Xu Ningyan finished washing up and combed her hair.
Gu Zhiyuan and his lackey have returned, carrying a skinned, pink rabbit.
Seeing that she was awake, he looked her over carefully and noticed that she looked much better than she had last night, so he was relieved: "I went to the commune this morning and got a braised pork dish from the state-run restaurant, and I also got two steamed buns. Would you like to eat some?"
Xu Ningyan asked, "And you? Have you had lunch yet?"
As Gu Zhiyuan put the cleaned rabbit in the kitchen, he brought out a lunchbox that had been keeping warm in a pot: "I ate before I came back. This is specially brought for you! Eat up! You need to nourish yourself!"
Xu Ningyan took the lunchbox, and the aroma of braised pork wafted over.
The head chef at the commune's state-run restaurant was making braised pork with dried bamboo shoots; just smelling it made my mouth water.
A bite of steamed bun followed by a bite of braised pork—it's incredibly satisfying.
Gu Zhiyuan sat beside Xu Ningyan, holding a teacup, watching her eat heartily, his eyes full of smiles.
"Today I went to the commune and happened to come across someone selling cured pork and cured chicken, so I bought them all. I also asked around and bought you a pair of rain boots and a pair of thin gloves to protect your fingers from leech bites!"
Gu Zhiyuan had never known that farm work was so hard when he lived in the capital.
He's a man, which is fine, but Xu Ningyan is still a young girl, so he has to protect her.
Therefore, he went to the commune's supply and marketing cooperative and spent a long time asking before buying these two items, which would at least provide some protection.
Xu Ningyan was surprised that Gu Zhiyuan was so thoughtful, having considered all of these things.
She also noticed that ever since she confessed her loyalty, the boss's attitude towards her had been getting better and better, and he really treated her like a younger sister.
If you didn't care about her, you wouldn't have prepared such a complete set for her.
Thinking back on all these years of working in the fields, even when transplanting rice seedlings, she always went barefoot, let alone wearing gloves.
The first time she went to plant rice seedlings in the paddy field, leeches bit her leg, and she cried and screamed in fright, but all she got was a slap from Miao Cuihua and a cold sentence: "What are you crying for? You're a disgrace! Get back to work!"
It was other kind-hearted aunties in the village who told her that she couldn't pull the leech off by force, but should swat it off with her hand and throw it away.
Otherwise, if you try to pull it out by force, you might break the head off inside the flesh, which would be a real problem.
Xu Siya, who was not even ten years old, cried while trying to suppress her fear, swatted the leech off, and threw it far away.
The blood on his leg wouldn't stop flowing, trickling down into the murky paddy field...
Later, Siya became numb to it. When she saw a leech, she would just swat it to stun it, pull it off, throw it far away, and then continue working.
Hearing Gu Zhiyuan's arrangements now, Xu Ningyan couldn't help but feel sorry for the former Si Ya.
With mixed feelings, she thanked Gu Zhiyuan before remembering to ask, "Did you buy it yourself?"
Gu Zhiyuan wasn't short of money, and although he wasn't afraid of leeches, he still wanted to avoid them, so he bought himself a pair.
They all wore long, knee-high rain boots, so transplanting rice seedlings was no problem at all.
Gu Zhiyuan was very perceptive and noticed that after he told A Ning that he had bought her rain boots, she seemed to become even more depressed after a brief moment of happiness.
I was going to ask, but then I realized that the girl was probably thinking about the hard times she had gone through before, which was why she was feeling sad.
He sighed silently. From now on, he would have to pamper this girl and help her forget the hardships she had endured.
Thinking to herself but not showing it on her face, she brought up the matter of those two educated youths who also knew she was going to have a job in the county town and were trying to get her there.
Previously, everyone was tired and busy, so even if the educated youth had many plans, they were confined to the team to work, so they weren't in a hurry.
Today I went to the commune and saw that the two educated youths had also gone there. They went to the post office and then to the commune government compound to inquire about Director Zhang.
Just then, Director Zhang went to the countryside, and the two female educated youths returned.
He called Sun Zhou, gave him a few brief instructions, and then waited to see what Sun Zhou would do.
In any case, this job belongs to his little girl, and no one can take it away from her!
Xu Ningyan never expected that even the educated youth would be interested in this job. These people must be crazy.
However, this did not affect her appetite; she finished two steamed buns and a whole lunchbox full of braised pork.
Xu Ningyan touched her stomach; she had finally come back to life.
Gu Zhiyuan took the dishes and chopsticks and washed them, then told her to go inside and see the things he had bought that day.
The two are now quite familiar with each other, and they don't have as many reservations when they occasionally visit each other.
Xu Ningyan then went straight into Gu Zhiyuan's room.
His room was clean and tidy, with simple tables, chairs, cabinets, and a bed.
The cabinet was filled with the things he had bought from the commune.
Two palm-widths of cured pork, with a good balance of fat and lean meat, and even more lean meat.
This type of meat is not very popular in rural areas because it is not oily enough.
Xu Ningyan loves this kind of cured pork belly, which has five layers and three layers of fat. It's delicious whether you steam it, stir-fry it, or cook it with rice.
There was also a cured chicken, which had been dried and then smoked until it was pitch black. Surprisingly, it didn't have the rancid smell that cured meats typically have after the weather gets hot.
With these two things, you can have meat without worrying about spoilage.
It's best to cook it when the rice seedlings are being transplanted.
Besides the cured pork and cured chicken, there are also some oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.
Gu Zhiyuan probably checked the kitchen before leaving, knew what was missing, and bought it all.
However, a porcelain bottle and an iron can placed separately to the side did catch her attention.
Upon picking it up, I saw a green bottle of Avon face cream in a round, disc-shaped jar with the brand name Pechoin written on it!
Gu Zhiyuan happened to walk in and saw Xu Ningyan looking at the two bottles. He explained, "These were recommended by the lady at the supply and marketing cooperative. She said that a girl's face and hands are the most important, so she needs to use these. One for the face, and one for the hands! The supply and marketing cooperative also has a newly released pearl cream, which they say is even better. But it's only available in bulk, so you have to bring your own bottle!"
“I didn’t bring the bottle, so I bought this for you. I heard it’s pretty good! After you finish using it, if you want to try the pearl cream, just take the bottle with you to get it done.”
Although Xu Ningyan had many skincare products in her space, each one was far superior to these two big brands and had much better effects.
At this moment, however, she gripped the bottle of Ya Shuang and the box of Bai Que Ling tightly, revealing a bright smile.
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