Wang Shuning paused while shoveling potato shreds. "It's just a small piece of meat. Bring it out to make it lively. Treat the villagers to a meal in the village. I guess it will only happen once."
The water in the teapot began to boil, and He Zhuzhu quickly took the thermos to fill it. If it boiled until it flooded the pot, the vegetables would become boiled food.
"But it's not just once. When you get married, you have to invite the villagers to the wedding banquet. It will be much busier than this."
Wang Shuning kept silent and did not respond. It was too early to say anything and there was probably no hope.
After all seven dishes were ready, the aroma of corn and sweet potato rice in the iron pot in He Zhuzhu's kitchen also wafted out.
Corn kernels, sweet potato chunks, and crystal clear rice, the whole pot of rice is a mixture of yellow and white, and looks glowing.
When the dishes were served on the table, He Haiming looked at the table full of meat and vegetarian dishes, then at the brightly colored rice in the bowl, and couldn't help but look up to Wang Shuning. At least the villagers' help to her with this meal was not in vain.
Although every household lives on corn and sweet potatoes, no one can cook a pot of rice like this. There must be at least half a pot of rice in it, otherwise it won't have such a color.
There were no drinks or wine on the table. That stuff was too expensive and no one in the village drank it.
Wang Shuning stood up holding a bowl half filled with water. "I've just arrived in the village. I hope the village chief and uncles will take care of me in the future. Please forgive me if I do anything wrong." After saying that, he drank half the bowl of water.
He Haiming suppressed his smile. This was being arranged as if it were a dinner for the leaders. This girl from Beijing was just different. She didn't have this attitude when she was choosing a house and bargaining for the price. Now her attitude has softened. An eighteen-year-old girl knows how to play the ways of the world so well. She is quite slick.
The word "village chief" elevated He Haiming's status, and "uncle" brought her closer to the villagers. Wang Shuning would live in Dafeng Village for several years, and this meal was not only a thank-you meal, but also to pave the way for the future.
He Haiming picked up the tea bowl and said, "When you come to Dafeng Village, no matter where you came from before, if you work hard, your life will not be bad."
Other villagers also generously picked up the tea bowls and drank it in big gulps. "The little girl is polite and good-looking. If there is a good match in the village in the future, I will ask my sister-in-law to introduce you to more people."
Wang Shuning grinned with a hint of shyness on his face. "When I came out, my parents told me that I had to get their consent before I could find a partner. The elders are older and have more experience, but I'm still young, so I have to wait until I'm in my twenties at least."
Several people immediately understood that this was because her family did not allow her to find a partner in the village, and this girl would probably have to return to the city in the future.
He Guoyue and He Guochai, who were sitting on low stools beside the dining table with their bowls in hand, were eating their meals in big mouthfuls, chewing the meat with their baby teeth which had not yet begun to fall out. When there were guests at home and there was no extra room to sit, children and women usually did not sit at the table. But this time, since Wang Shuning was treating them, she had to sit at the table, and it would be too embarrassing for a woman alone, so she pulled He Zhuzhu to sit on a bench.
After the opening greetings, they ate and drank to their heart's content, leaving almost no vegetable leaves behind.
When they were about eight-tenths full, they began to chat and brag about family matters and village rules and customs, and they wanted to tell everyone everything they knew that would attract other people's attention.
As the sky gradually darkened, the village chief looked at Wang Shuning and said, "Your cooking skills are good. You still have to work tomorrow. Let's just go home and have a rest."
Wang Shuning stood up and smiled, "Okay, thank you all for your help these two days."
Everyone waved their hands proudly. It was a luxury to have a meal with meat during the busy farming season. This meal had three meat dishes and the staple food was so expensive. They didn't lose out.
After everyone left, Wang Shuning, with the help of He Zhuzhu, quickly cleaned up all the pots and pans on the table.
"Thank you Aunt Zhu today. I will cook for myself from tomorrow on. You don't have to make breakfast for me anymore."
He Zhuzhu nodded. "I've moved the firewood to the kitchen for you. When it's running low, tell me. Or Mingming and Goudan will do."
Wang Shuning agreed, went back to his small kitchen to boil a pot of water, and then carried a bamboo basket into the space.
Pick a few apples, bananas, strawberries, blueberries and various other fruits and lock them in the kitchen cupboard.
The things in the space take a week to mature, but if you don't pick them, they will hang on the branches forever and will not rot or fall off.
After running around outside for most of the day and being busy for the whole afternoon, Wang Shuning no longer wanted to move and decided to leave it tomorrow.
"Bang bang, is Mr. Ning asleep?" He Qiuqiu stood in the yard and shouted towards Wang Shuning's room.
He Zhuzhu, who was bathing He Guochai, came out, stared at him and asked, "Uncle Qiu, are you looking for Shu Ning?"
He Qiuqiu lowered his voice and pointed at the large bathtub and small cabinet behind him. "Zhiqing Ning ordered something at my house this afternoon. I heard that she invited Chunxi and the village chief to dinner tonight, so I thought of sending it over tomorrow morning. But Gu Yazi said that she might need it tonight, so I thought it would be better to send it over now."
The weather is still a bit hot now and I've been busy all day. It's really inconvenient to take a bath without a bathtub.
"Click." The sound of a door opening was heard. Wang Shuning heard someone shouting and hurried out of the space. She didn't know He Chunxi, but she could still see the shadows of the bathtub and cabinet in the dim night.
"Ning Zhiqing, I've brought the bathtub and cabinet back to you. Where should I put them? I'll move them in for you."
Wang Shuning opened the door and said, "Just move into the room."
There was an empty shelf next to the bed, where the cabinet used to be. The broken cabinet had been moved to the kitchen.
"My things are of good quality. If there is a leak or crack, come to me and I will fix it for you for free." He Qiuqiu leaned the bathtub against the wall.
"Thank you, Uncle Qiu."
When they went to bed at night, He Zhuzhu found candies in Mingming and Goudan's pockets. They had six candies in total. She pulled the children up and asked, "Who gave you the candies?"
The two men were a little dazed after taking a bath, but when they saw He Zhuzhu holding their candies, they immediately perked up. They wanted to take them with their hands but were afraid that their mother would be angry.
Mingming answered, "Sister Shuning gave it to us. Mom was washing dishes in the yard at the time."
He Zhuzhu's eyes moved slightly, and she put the candy into the drawer. "Don't eat after brushing your teeth, otherwise your teeth will be bitten by insects."
Mingming and Goudan nodded. They didn't want to eat it now. They just kept it in their pockets without touching it because they were reluctant to eat it.
They have never eaten candy since they were young. Every time they see other children eating candy, they can only watch and swallow their saliva.
Apart from three meals a day, the two children of He Zhuzhu's family have never eaten snacks. Those things are expensive and their family can't afford them and is reluctant to buy them.
At six o'clock in the morning, the gong sounded to signal the start of work. Wang Shuning opened his eyes and looked at the wooden ceiling.
Workers in Dafeng Village start work at 7 a.m. and finish at 11 a.m., and start work at 1 p.m. and finish at 6 p.m.
The village production team leader usually rings the gong in the village one hour in advance. There are three small alarm clocks in Dafeng Village, each managed by one of the three production team leaders.
People in the village can tell what time it is by looking at the position of the sun, but Wang Shuning doesn't have that ability.
Knead the dough, cover it with a white cloth to let it rise and then wash up.
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