Lu raised an eyebrow: "Aunt Qian really does have a great skill!"
Qian Sheng said with a smile, "Our dishes are all farm-style, and they can't compare to those cooked by chefs in state-run restaurants."
Lu smiled and looked at Qian Duoduo, saying, "Uncle Qian, you can't say that. Duoduo's cooking is very good. I've been to many places and eaten at state-run restaurants in other places. I can say with certainty that Duoduo's cooking is no worse than those chefs, and even better than some chefs in other places."
When Qian Sheng heard Secretary Lu praise Duo Duo, his face showed genuine pride and joy. Lu Jiang also smiled. This brigade leader was really different from the brigade leaders in other villages. In some places, there was still a preference for sons over daughters, but he couldn't see any of that in Qian Sheng.
At least, it's undeniable that Qian Duoduo is pampered in this family. Whether it's Qian Sheng or Qian Mao, their love for Qian Duoduo is genuine.
After the meal, Qian Sheng and Qian Mao both stood up to clear the dishes. When Qian Mao finished washing the dishes and came back, he saw Lu Jiang and his father sitting in the main room by the fire, chatting about the new year's harvest and his father's thoughts about the brigade.
Lu Jiang said, "Actually, each brigade mainly focuses on farming now, but they still need to have their own sideline businesses so that they can boost the village's economic income."
Qian Sheng nodded and said, "I also want to do some side business for the brigade, just like Yuanbao Village next door. They set up their own brick factory, and I heard that every family received a lot of money this year. To be honest, it would be a lie to say I'm not envious, but I know that this is not something that can be replicated. We can only find our own way."
Lu nodded and said, "Yes, that's why I've been running around to different villages every day since I took office. I also hope to make every villager's pockets full."
The three of them then fell silent; this was not something that could be accomplished overnight!
Lu will leave Qian Sheng's house on the third day of the Lunar New Year. After Secretary Lu leaves, Qian Sheng's house becomes like a tourist attraction, with many villagers coming every day to inquire about news and want to know if Secretary Lu has any good news after staying at Qian Sheng's house for so many days.
Some analytical people even believe that Secretary Lu stayed at the Qian family's house for so many days because he must have taken a liking to Qian Duoduo and wanted to form a marriage alliance with the Qian Sheng family.
Some people also believe that Secretary Lu wants to promote Qian Sheng, and that he might be sent to the commune. He is here to test him.
Some people said that Secretary Lu really liked Qian Mao's performance and wanted to promote him further, but this topic was quickly refuted: "Qian Mao is Secretary Lu's secretary now. How much further can he go? He can't possibly surpass Secretary Lu!"
In short, everyone who came was talking at once. At first, Qian Sheng tried to argue with them, but he found that talking to them was like a duck listening to thunder. They were just talking to themselves and thought they were being very polite. Someone even went up to Qian Duoduo and asked her, "When is Secretary Lu going to marry you?"
Qian Duoduo snorted at her: "Secretary Lu and I are worlds apart, and besides, he's so much older than me."
The man immediately asked, "What kind of person does Secretary Lu like?"
Qian Duoduo looked her up and down and said, "I definitely won't like someone like you."
The other person choked and immediately turned to leave. However, she did not expect that her brother would be ostracized by his friends the next day. When her younger brother learned that his sister had offended Qian Duoduo, he immediately started throwing a tantrum at home, which resulted in her parents, who favored boys over girls, beating her. This made her hate Qian Duoduo even more.
However, Qian Duoduo didn't care. Usually, Qiao Tiezhu would take care of these things without her having to ask. After all, Qiao Tiezhu wouldn't let go of any opportunity to please Qian Duoduo.
Even after the New Year, Qian Duoduo still went to Feng Niaoniao's place to study every day without fail. When Yun Yi saw Qian Duoduo and Feng Niaoniao studying, he gradually felt that having something to do was better than just spacing out. He had always been a good student at school, and even though he didn't keep up with Qian Duoduo and the others at first, he gradually caught up.
Liu Yuan was the last to join, and this gossip squad has now become a high school study group. Even though Qian Duoduo is the youngest, she has never fallen behind in her studies. This has given Liu Yuan a little bit of a competitive spirit, and she has also been working hard to study. In the last four people's test papers, although Liu Yuan's score was last, she was only a few points behind Yun Yi, who was in third place.
This realization made Liu Yuan happy, so she went to the commune to buy a piece of pork belly. Qian Duoduo cooked it and made braised pork, and they enjoyed a happy meal together.
The aroma of the sauce made the other educated youth in the neighboring courtyard eat an extra bowl of rice. Jiang Caiqin could tell from the smell that it was coming from Feng Niaoniao's courtyard. Her heart was filled with regret. She had been too hasty. Otherwise, she could have become good friends with Feng Niaoniao like Liu Yuan, and she could have gotten a share of the braised pork.
Liu Yuan ate the braised pork with a smile and asked Qian Duoduo, "Duoduo, which university will you go to in the future?"
Qian Duoduo asked, puzzled, "Why are you asking this? I'm only a junior high school student, and I won't graduate until this summer. Besides, I don't even know if I'll be able to take the college entrance exam yet."
Liu Yuan sighed and said, "Sigh, the boys in my family are either too old and already married, or they're still babies and too young. Otherwise, if I married you, I could eat your braised pork every day. That would be such a happy thing!"
Feng Niaoniao laughed and said, "Alright, alright, this is the first time I've ever had such delicious braised pork. And let me tell you, Duoduo, if you get into a university in Beijing, we can spend more time together. I'll bring Yunyi along for a free meal. I'll bring the meat and vegetables, Duoduo, all you have to bring is your cooking skills!"
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