Jiang Qiao glanced around the room and asked directly, "Do you cook for yourselves?"
Fang Yuejin nodded. "People like us, no one is willing to cook for us. If we don't cook for ourselves, we can only wait to go hungry."
Jiang Qiao, if possible, please get some cold medicine. You've already seen my situation here—it's cold, extremely cold, and I could get sick at any moment. So, medicine is the best thing.
Jiang Qiao took out several bottles of medicine directly from the basket. "I made these myself. You take them first and hide them well. Hurry up and eat something. I'll get you something hot."
Fang Yuejin gave a wry smile. "There's no firewood left. Don't bother. A little cold water will do."
Jiang Qiao sighed, "I'll try to get you a thermos later."
"Uncle, how are the people here? If I send it by mail, will they intercept it halfway?"
Fang Yuejin shook his head. "It's unlikely. Will it cause you any trouble?"
Jiang Qiao smiled and shook her head. "No trouble at all. I'll figure something out. Eat up."
The food Jiang Qiao brought out was really delicious. The meat was sandwiched in a steamed bun and topped with a fragrant sauce, which made Fang Yuejin unable to stop eating it.
During this time, he really treated himself well. Even when he wasn't here, he didn't get to eat much meat at home in a month. It was only because this girl knew how to hunt that he benefited. His family got to eat meat without any loss, and he also benefited from it, being able to eat meat to his heart's content.
Jiang Qiao left a few steamed buns for Fang Yuejin, asking, "How are your companions? Are these for them?"
Fang Yuejin nodded. "Those guys are alright. Their situations are different, but they're all pretty good people. At least here, we're all pretty much each other's only support, and they've taken good care of me."
There are too many, Jiang Qiao can't take them out anymore, she can only wait for the next time.
"Uncle, I'll be going now. I'm going to check on things in the woods. You rest first, remember to take your medicine, and take care of your leg. Don't overexert yourself, or it will cause problems later."
After eating his fill, Fang Yuejin finally became concerned about his leg: "Will my leg really get better in the future?"
Jiang Qiao nodded seriously, "Of course, my grandfather Qiao's family has a long history of treating sprains and bruises. This plaster is a family heirloom. I'll also give you some acupuncture. It'll be hard for you not to get better. So, for the sake of your leg's future health, please bear with it for now."
Oh, here, take this. If you need anything, you can go buy it yourself.
Jiang Qiao gave him money and tickets, and Fang Yuejin felt really embarrassed. He hadn't done anything for this child, yet she had come to treat his illness and give him food. He felt his face burning with embarrassment.
Jiang Qiao shoved it directly into his hand, saying, "Don't be so polite, old man. Right now, I have this. If I didn't, there's nothing I can do."
"By the way, what brings you here? I heard you weren't supposed to be here?"
Speaking of this, Fang Yue shook his head in confusion, "I don't know what happened either, maybe someone is helping us in secret—"
Jiang Qiao remarked with emotion, "It's rare to find good comrades who do good deeds anonymously these days."
After leaving the courtyard, Jiang Qiao carried a basket on her back, intending to go into the mountains. Who would have thought that she would encounter someone halfway there, and that it was an old lady.
"Hey, isn't this the comrade who got off the bus? Why haven't you left yet?"
Jiang Qiao smiled and shook her head. "Auntie, I want to go into the mountains. My husband is still inside, and I'm worried about him."
The old woman slapped her thigh and said, "You child, what kind of woman goes into the mountains? What time is it? The mountains are covered in snow, and there's nothing but wild animals. What are you going in for?"
Besides, the men are already quite far away; you can't catch up. What if you encounter a pack of wolves? You should go home with your mother and wait until your husband returns before you go with him.”
Jiang Qiao really didn't expect the villagers to be so simple and honest. They believed whatever she said and were so kind-hearted. She even felt a little embarrassed.
However, Jiang Qiao couldn't resist the old lady's enthusiasm, so she went home with her. Seeing the family's living conditions, she felt a little sad; they were poor, but at least they were clean.
"Oh dear, comrade, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Let me make you something to eat right away."
Jiang Qiao grabbed the old lady who was about to cook. At this time of year, people in the countryside usually only eat two meals a day. They hibernate during the winter and there's not much work to do, so they try to save money wherever possible. Even so, they manage to get by on half a year's worth of grain and half a year's worth of vegetables. She was too embarrassed to let the old lady spend money on them.
"Auntie, please don't! I brought some food. We'll go together later, just the two of us. Where are your family members? I haven't seen anyone else."
The old woman sighed, “My son went into the mountains with me, my husband passed away years ago, my daughter-in-law took the children back to her parents’ home, and my daughter is already married.”
Jiang Qiao then realized that the old lady only had this one precious son. "Hehe, Auntie, is your son the youngest?"
Speaking of this, the old lady couldn't help but smile. "That's right. Just to have a son, my daughter has given birth to six children, not counting the ones who didn't survive. Finally, we have a son. I've done right by my husband."
Jiang Qiao sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) and chatted with the old lady for a while before taking out a few steamed buns filled with meat from the basket. "Auntie, could you please heat them up for us? Let's eat together—"
Seeing the white steamed buns, the old lady was at a loss. "This, this, this won't do. Daughter-in-law, you keep them for yourself. I'm an old woman, I can eat anything. I'm not hungry, I eat late."
Jiang Qiao got up and pulled the old lady to the kitchen. She personally helped the old lady start the fire. There were not only steamed buns, but also spicy cabbage that Jiang Qiao had brought.
The old lady was also wondering to herself, "Why are these city people dressed like this? They don't look like city people at all. They're just like country folk. But they're so generous. They're like a kind-hearted young woman who doesn't like to take advantage of others."
Jiang Qiao ate one of the hot meat buns, but the old lady was reluctant to eat it. Jiang Qiao insisted on breaking off half of it and stuffing it into the old lady's mouth, so the old lady had no choice but to eat it.
"This is almost like the New Year! Oh dear, my wife and I are really benefiting from this!"
Jiang Qiao was full after eating one, and pushed the rest to the old lady, saying, "Auntie, leave these for your family."
The old lady felt bad, but Jiang Qiao waved his hand and said, "You're being too polite with me. I'd like to come to your old home to rest next time. If you keep this up, will you even let me come over?"
Auntie, please don't be so polite. It's fate that we met, don't you think?
I'd been walking for quite a while, and nobody had paid any attention to me. Look, it was you who pulled me back. Isn't that incredible fate? Next time, I'll come back and chat with you again.
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