After watching her cousin leave, Jiang Qiao served food to the old man and herself. She had fewer dishes, mainly because she didn't have an appetite for them. It was a big pot of stew with little oil and was mushy. She did, however, like the rice noodle soup.
The old man chatted with the team leader while eating. As the team leader, he was still very concerned about the condition of the injured.
"The acupuncture has provided temporary relief, but I don't have any medicine on hand right now. This afternoon, I'm taking my granddaughter into the mountains to collect herbs, and I'll come back tonight to apply the medicine to them. But I'll have to trouble you to help arrange a place to stay."
Jiang Xiuqi waved his hand and said, "That's easy to say. There is a place, but it's a bit dirty. I'll have someone clean it up later. You can stay there. I was just thinking of asking you to help my mother take a look at her legs. She's getting old, and her legs aren't very good. We took her to the doctor before, but they couldn't find anything wrong with them."
Qiao Jie readily agreed. Jiang Xiuqi hadn't been unaware of the girl eating quietly beside him. At first glance, he didn't have any particular feeling about her, but judging from the way Jiang Qiao ate, he had a feeling that this girl was not simple.
Putting aside the fact that the country kids can't compare to her, even the city kids—he's not someone who's never seen the world—can't match this little girl's eating manners. Although she eats fast, her every move is very well-mannered.
Especially when he saw Jiang Qiao look up and tell the old man about paying the grain coupons, and saw the little girl's appearance, Jiang Xiuqi was stunned. Why did this child look so familiar? She looked so much like his brother and his wife.
If he hadn't known that this little girl was the old man's granddaughter, he would have almost thought she was his good brother's long-lost child. But then he remembered that incident from back then. Could it be that the little girl's background really has a problem?
Suppressing his excitement, he spoke calmly, "What food coupons? We're too kind of you to pay for a meal. That's not how you treat guests. Besides, you're providing free medical care to the villagers. If we're really talking about it, we should be the ones paying."
Jiang Qiao shook her head and looked at Jiang Xiuqi seriously. "Uncle, you can't calculate it like that. My grandfather is a doctor, and it is his duty to treat and save lives. But this canteen belongs to the community. We might not have any objections if we eat here once or twice, but what if it goes on for a long time?"
You see, my grandfather will often come here to collect medicinal herbs in the future. This place is just right for us to settle down, so we won't have to suffer the hardship of traveling back and forth.
So you should always listen to me and pay what you're owed. If we're having dinner at your house, I won't bring this up again, so no one can say anything about it.
Also, could we rent that house long-term in the future?
Jiang Xiuqi was a bit stumped by this. "There were a lot of farm tools in this house before. I was afraid you would find them in the way. I haven't thought of a suitable place for them yet."
The old man spoke first, “It’s alright, it’s alright. My granddaughter and I just need a place to stay. Everything else is fine. We won’t be staying here long-term. When I don’t have time, this girl will come over to help gather herbs and ask for lodging. It’s not good for her to stay here for too long. She can definitely live alone without any problem.”
The old man immediately decided to rent the house, paying a year's rent upfront, because he wanted to make it easier for Jiang Qiao to come back and visit his younger brother and the others in the future.
Besides, he and his younger brother hadn't had a proper chance to catch up yet, and it wouldn't be convenient for him to stay at someone else's house, so he came up with this idea.
Jiang Xiuqi thought that the two people, one old and one young, were definitely shrewd. There were some things he didn't say, but they understood them and acted openly, which would make his work easier in the future.
After the two made the decision, the old man and Jiang Xiuqi went to pay the money and get the keys. Jiang Qiao strolled over to her grandfather's place, but on the way she encountered some clueless guys, the same boys who had beaten up her cousin last time. Especially the one with the pointed mouth and monkey cheeks, whose fawning smile when he saw Jiang Qiao was disgusting.
"Little girl, we meet again. Do you have any candy this time?"
Jiang Qiao glanced at the other party and said, "Want some candy? Sure, but there's no such thing as a free lunch. Do me a favor, and I'll give you candy."
The boys' eyes lit up, their greedy expressions making Jiang Qiao unable to bear looking at them. Her older brother was so much better; even in their dire circumstances, he still maintained such good manners.
Jiang Qiao looked at her fingers casually. "Oh dear, I'm craving fish. Whoever catches fish for me, I'll give them candy. What do you say?"
The boy with the pointed face and monkey-like features snorted, "Do you think we're stupid? If there are fish, why don't we eat them ourselves? Humph, you brat, if you want to eat fish, go catch some yourself."
After saying that, she grabbed a few boys and stormed off, leaving two boys behind—the ones who had disagreed with the group fight that day.
The boys looked at Jiang Qiao with kindness; they already knew that this little girl was Dr. Qiao's granddaughter.
"Your name is Jiang Qiao, right?"
Jiang Qiao nodded, raised her chin, and asked, "What are your names? Why aren't you leaving?"
The boy scratched his head shyly. "My name is Tiedan, and his name is Tietou. He's my uncle's son."
"Don't you have any famous names?"
Tie Tou nodded. "Yes, my brother's name is Qi Xiang, and my name is Qi Lin. We'll catch fish for you, how much candy can you give us in return?"
Although Jiang Qiao wasn't quite sure why the two brothers were so eager for candy, she still held out her palms and gestured back and forth, "If there are a lot of fish, ten yuan each. If they behave well, I'll give them more rewards later. How about it?"
The two boys, not understanding what Jiang Qiao meant by "good performance," asked the question in a daze.
Jiang Qiao rolled her eyes at the two of them. "If you have any shrimp or crabs, catch some. Also, find out who sells eggs for me, and you two can help me contact them. If you manage to buy some, I'll reward you with other food. How about that?"
The two brothers jumped up excitedly, "Great! We'll go catch fish right now. Don't worry about the eggs, we all have them. We were going to sell them anyway, but it'll be convenient for us if you buy them."
Just as the two brothers were about to leave, they suddenly remembered something. "By the way, be careful of that skinny monkey. He's a cunning guy. Don't let him ambush you on the way."
Jiang Qiao laughed arrogantly, "Him? He doesn't even deserve it. Alright, give it to me when you're done eating. I'm leaving now."
Those who had eaten went back to rest, while others went to watch the steelmaking process. Jiang Qiao checked around and, finding no one nearby, quietly entered the cowshed.
Gu Zhihong had already woken up inside. The little guy had eaten the food Jiang Qiao had brought, and now that he saw her in person, he was incredibly enthusiastic.
"elder sister--"
Seeing Gu Zhihong, Jiang Qiao wanted to sigh. If it were before liberation, this child would have been treated like a young master. Look at him now, even she felt heartbroken.
The eight-year-old child looked about the same age as the five-year-old, so thin he barely had any flesh on his bones, but he had big eyes and was quite energetic.
Jiang Qiao sat down next to her younger cousin with a smile. "How are you feeling? Much better?"
The little one nodded happily, "I feel much better, I'm not confused at all anymore. Sister, Grandpa said you gave me the medicine. Sister, where have you been? Why haven't you come to see us?"
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