Jiang Qiao noticed that there seemed to be fewer prey in the mountains than before.
Qiao Jie gave her an answer: "Sigh, the harvest is bad, so everyone's here looking for things. What do you think? Everyone's not stupid, they're all secretly preparing. Didn't you see how few wild vegetables are left on the ground? They've all been picked and dried to save for next year's meals."
"Girl, let's prepare more wild vegetables. Cabbage and radishes are also rationed. It's enough for the two of us, Zu and Su, but we have quite a few acquaintances in our courtyard, like your Grandma Ning and your Third Aunt. Even Wang Dahua... we have to think twice. What if they really run out of food and come to you for help? Can we really not help them?"
Jiang Qiao said nonchalantly, "Help? Of course I'll help. I can ignore others, but I can't let my grandma go hungry. We may not have anything else, but we have wild vegetables. Grandpa, you can gather them here while I go inside. If there's game, that would be even better. If not, some wild fruit will do. It'll be enough to fill us up if we get hungry."
The old man nodded. "Be careful, we're already quite far in now."
Qiao Jie was quick on his feet. After watching his granddaughter go inside, he also hurriedly picked wild vegetables and herbs, but he was lost in thought.
Jiang Qiao understood what the old man meant by his words earlier; he was afraid that she would be entangled with this family in the future.
Dream on. Wang Dahua can lend a hand, but only to a limited extent. She's not the Jiang Qiao of the past. There was still some good impression left, but the other party has completely ruined it.
There was a lot of stuff in the old forest. Jiang Qiao took whatever she could find. She wouldn't let herself be wronged. With more stuff, she could eat whatever she wanted.
She didn't gather too many wild vegetables, as she already had plenty in her space. In addition, she also grew her own vegetables and fruits. Dried wild vegetables don't taste as good as fresh ones.
She didn't let any prey go. Grandpa said that it was hard to say what would happen next year, and she and Qiao Jie wouldn't be able to eat much, but she was too greedy.
If it weren't for the fact that she was supposed to be treating everyone to dinner that evening, she almost wouldn't have been able to stop herself.
"Qiao'er, Qiao'er, it's time to go back—"
Jiang Qiao heard the old man's echo from afar. She responded a few times and hurried back, carrying prey in her basket and in her hands.
Qiao Jie's face broke into a wide grin when he saw it. "Goodness, you're really something, girl. Let's make a lot more cured meat this time."
Jiang Qiao nodded, "Yes, we'll do it in the yard. Otherwise, if we go back, Li Meilan will definitely keep an eye on us."
The old man chuckled and patted his granddaughter's head. "Little rascal, you're such a little devil. Let's go, we have time anyway, we can come again tomorrow."
Jiang Qiao prepared a lavish dinner, having had a great day, and cooked plenty of meat for everyone. Jiang Weihan drank with Gu Hanting and the others while inquiring about Gu Zhengkai's whereabouts.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Xiuqi arrived halfway through the drink.
"Goodness, we're eating so quickly! Luckily I came, otherwise I would have missed this meal."
Jiang Qiao eagerly ran into the house to get him a bowl and chopsticks. As Jiang Xiuqi ate, he sighed, "It's the only time I've had a decent meal here. To be honest, the team's food reserves are running low. I'm even thinking about whether we should stop running the canteen. At this rate, we'll go broke sooner or later."
Gu Hanting shook his head. "You can't just say that. There are many ways to eat more and fewer. Mix in more ingredients and get through this winter first. Then you can take a look at what other teams are thinking."
Jiang Xiuqi took a sip of wine and said, "Don't even mention it. They're not doing as well as we are here. In some places, they haven't even had time to harvest their crops. I don't think the weather is very reliable. If a heavy rain comes down, everything will be ruined."
Jiang Weihan snorted coldly, "Those people are still hoping for grain allocation from above, saying that other places have had a bumper harvest and they can help us out. Keep dreaming."
They're not stupid. They read the newspapers. They've farmed all their lives. How could they not know how much yield per acre could be?
It's alright in their team; his son reports the truth. But in other places, it's hard to say. Some people overreport. Just wait and see. Production has decreased here, and those who overreported won't even have time to recover.
"Ahem, let's not talk about those unhappy things. Come on, let's drink and eat. We're talking about something serious, you should listen too—"
As everyone ate and chatted, Jiang Xiuqi finally understood what was going on with the boss.
While eating, he nodded and said, "Uncle, I think it's better to stay there. At least we know each other. What do you think will happen if we come back? Will we still be farming?"
Besides, his identity still needs to be verified, so it's better for him to stay there. I'd feel more at ease if he kept an eye on things personally.
"Sigh, I knew it! Zhengkai isn't that kind of person. See, I was right. This guy is really something, not giving us a hint about something this big."
Jiang Weihan glared at his son. "With his status, how could he possibly speak? If the Japanese found out, would Zhengkai even be alive? It's a pity, it's just a shame for the eldest son. Hanting, speaking of which, both of your sons are truly promising and have great ambitions."
Gu Hanting gave a wry smile. "Now I wish he were just an ordinary farmer, at least he could stay home, tend to the land, and be with his wife and kids. Look at the state of this family now, sigh—"
As a father, I feel so much reluctance and helplessness.
"Why are you sighing? Take the child over to see Zhengkai later. I wonder how he's doing. If he can hold on for another six months, he'll be free. He can come back whenever he wants. It would be better if he could regain his identity. If not, he can come back to farm. What's the big deal? He'll just have to work hard."
I need to have a talk with those old guys later. This trend is getting a bit bad. These brats are causing too much trouble. Xiuqi, give them a good spanking now and then, make them work hard and get exhausted, then they won't have time to cause trouble anymore.”
Jiang Xiuqi had already thought it through: "Dad, I'll have those rascals repair the irrigation canals later. It's not good to keep the area in drought like this. Once the canals are repaired, irrigation will be much easier."
Gu Hanting nodded in strong agreement. "That's a good idea."
In fact, the Jiang family father and son were quite curious. How could Jiang Qiao, such a young girl, be so good at hunting, almost as good as that old hunter?
"Sigh, what can I do? Life forces me to. I've been practicing since I was little, but I never had the chance to show it off before. Now that I do, I never expected my technique to be so good. Hehe, I didn't expect that either."
By the way, who grew these vegetables for us?
Speaking of this, Jiang Weihan smiled smugly at Jiang Qiao, "The three of us old guys did it together. How about it? Grandpa didn't get a free meal of meat, did he?"
Jiang Qiao gave the old man a thumbs up. "Grandpa Jiang, just for your kind intentions, see those meats hanging on the pole? You two can take some back with you. I can't openly give them to Uncle. If you take them yourself, it's not my problem."
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