Chapter 43 Chapter 43 If Lin Zhengrong is free, then...
"Aunt Juanjuan!" Lin Beibei rushed out first. The little guy said sweetly and hugged Gao Juanjuan. "Are you here to see us? I'm so happy."
"Yes, yes, auntie is here to see you." Gao Juanjuan touched Lin Beibei and then Lin Nannan. Lin Nannan became much more shy and shrank her head with a smile.
After saying hello to Wu Shuangshuang, Gao Juanjuan followed Jiang Qiuyue home.
Jiang Qiuyue's yard has two doors, the back door facing the kitchen of Wu Shuangshuang's house. Jiang Qiuyue opened the door with the key and just in time heard the hen "clucking". Lin Beibei immediately went over to see if there were any eggs.
"Mom, it's eggs!" Lin Beibei excitedly wanted to go in and pick up the eggs, but Jiang Qiuyue stopped him and told him to pick them up later.
"You also raise chickens?" Gao Juanjuan glanced at the yard. The land on the edge had been reclaimed, and it seemed that they were preparing to grow vegetables. She thought that Jiang Qiuyue was really a pragmatic person.
Jiang Qiuyue said, "The monthly ration is not enough to eat, so I raise two chickens and grow some vegetables. Chicken manure can be used as fertilizer, and vegetable leaves can be used to feed chickens, so it's a good way to recycle. Anyway, I don't have a job, so I find something to do to kill time."
Growing vegetables, cooking, raising chickens, when Jiang Qiuyue was tired from work, she would watch rural life bloggers to relax, and wondered when she could live a pastoral life.
Now that she has land, she can’t raise too many chickens, but she can grow whatever she wants on the land in the yard. With such a large piece of land, she can always grow enough vegetables to eat.
"Yes, as I walked along just now, I found that your yard is the largest." Gao Juanjuan doesn't know how to grow vegetables. She is usually busy with work and eats in the cafeteria most of the time.
Following Jiang Qiuyue into the house, Jiang Qiuyue said that there was braised pork in the pot, and she would stir-fry two more dishes before eating.
Jiang Qiuyue had stewed the braised pork in advance. She had been craving it for a long time. She picked it up with chopsticks and the fat separated like jelly. The deep red color shone with an alluring luster.
The braised pork was cooked together with eggs. Jiang Qiuyue put the eggs at the bottom and the braised pork on top, and covered them with a bowl to prevent them from getting cold.
Wu Shuangshuang planted a lot of vegetables in her yard. Jiang Qiuyue took a handful of green vegetables and a few eggplants at the end of the season from her.
The greens only need to be stir-fried with lard and garlic, no complicated stir-frying is needed. The eggplant is roasted, and then a few green peppers are roasted and mixed together, which is the most delicious dish to eat with rice.
Finally, cook some tomato and egg soup to stimulate your appetite.
Jiang Qiuyue had just finished cooking when Xiao Li came over and said, "Wait a minute, I'll pack it for you."
Xiao Li couldn't take his eyes off the braised pork. Jiang Qiuyue divided Xiao Li's portion among them. Because Xiao Li's eyes lit up every time Yu Guanghui ate, Yu Guanghui simply gave Xiao Li a grain coupon.
"Sister-in-law, today's meal is so rich!" What Xiao Li looks forward to every day is to come to Jiang Qiuyue to get meals. He has been eating all day and the meals taste especially delicious.
"We have guests at home today, you guys can enjoy the feast together." Jiang Qiuyue packed the food, "The broth from the braised pork can be eaten with rice. Here are the grain coupons and money. Before you come over tomorrow, please buy me a bag of rice."
Jiang Qiuyue never works hard on her own unless someone else is doing the work. And since Xiao Li is convenient for her, she might as well let him help.
Only then did Xiao Li go to see Gao Juanjuan, said "Hello, sister-in-law" generously, and left with his lunch box.
Jiang Qiuyue invited Gao Juanjuan to eat. Gao Juanjuan asked curiously what happened. Jiang Qiuyue explained to her, "A leader in the compound said that he had no appetite since his wife passed away. He smelled the fragrance near my house that day and wanted to eat the food I cooked. Xiao Li asked me if I could help. This was just a matter of convenience, so I agreed. The bicycle ticket that day was a thank you from the leader."
"So that's how it is. That's pretty good." Gao Juanjuan looked at the food on the table. She was hungry, so she picked up a piece of braised pork first. The moment she took a bite, she exclaimed in amazement, "Qiuyue, it's delicious!"
The braised pork was fatty but not greasy, and it was cooked for a sufficient amount of time, so it was very flavorful. It was much better than the food in the cafeteria. "With your cooking skills, it's no wonder that even the leader likes to eat it. It's a pity that you don't become a chef."
"The canteen has to make big pots of food, which are definitely not as delicate as those at home. Knowing you were coming, I queued up in the morning to buy meat, but it was sold out if you were late." Jiang Qiuyue yawned as she spoke. She had discussed with Xiao Li that they should have breakfast in the canteen in the future, as she really couldn't get up early every day.
"Thank you for your hard work." Gao Juanjuan ate two bowls of rice, which was a rare occasion. She had to stay here for another day. Jiang Qiuyue asked her to stay over, and she didn't refuse.
After dinner, Gao Juanjuan took out the gifts she had brought from her bag. There was a bag of rock sugar, a bag of sesame cakes, and three pairs of nylon socks, all of which were hard to buy in the family compound.
Jiang Qiuyue felt a little embarrassed when she saw Gao Juanjuan taking out so many things, "Sister, you are too polite."
"What's the big deal? I'm not being polite. You asked me to stay at your house, so I came. You don't have to be embarrassed with me. It's almost fall, and I don't know what size shoes you wear. I happened to see a pair of socks for sale, so I bought three pairs."
A pair of adult nylon socks costs three yuan, and a pair of children's socks costs at least one yuan, and they are not easy to buy.
Jiang Qiuyue accepted it with a smile, and the two children couldn't wait to try it on. She then discovered that their sandals were also a little worn out, not to mention the shoes for autumn and winter.
Thinking of this, Jiang Qiuyue wanted a sewing machine again. Before in Taohua Village, Wang Chunhua treated them and their two children badly, and it was even more impossible for her to buy them warm autumn and winter clothes.
So when Jiang Qiuyue came, she didn't bring too many clothes. Now that she thought about it, she had to make new clothes for the whole family. And the quilts for winter were not thick enough. Haicheng was colder than Taohua Village, so she had to find a way to get some cotton.
After thinking about this, Jiang Qiuyue frowned slightly. It is really not easy to make the family live a good life.
Gao Juanjuan also saw the shoes of the two children. Although she didn't do much housework, as a doctor, she was very attentive. "Qiuyue, do you want cotton?"
"Sister, I was just worrying about this." Jiang Qiuyue asked the children to take off their socks and put them aside. She would wash them later. "When I was in the village, I didn't have much property. I heard from Sister Shuangshuang that the temperature in Haicheng can drop below zero in winter. My two quilts will definitely not last through the winter. Sister Juanjuan, you asked me this. Is there any way to get cotton?"
Gao Juanjuan said, "Before National Day, our unit will distribute welfare. Some families don't need it, so they will take it out for replacement. If you need it, I can help you."
"Yes, yes. Even if my husband's company gives it to me, it won't be enough. I need cotton to make cotton clothes and sew quilts." Jiang Qiuyue was afraid that it wouldn't be enough, not too much. "Thank you. When you leave tomorrow, I'll stew a salted fish for you. You can take it back and let your family have a taste."
The two talked for a while, Gao Juanjuan was going to work, and Jiang Qiuyue asked her to ride a bicycle.
In the afternoon, Jiang Qiuyue continued to grow vegetables. She asked Wu Shuangshuang for some seeds and planted a field of green vegetables. Some of them seemed to have sprouted today.
I also planted a field of garlic sprouts, with a circle of green onions planted around the garlic sprouts, and the rest of the field was sprinkled with Chinese cabbage, radish, and snow red seeds. I planted peas in a field next to the wall, and the rest of the field was reserved for potatoes.
Jiang Qiuyue had been busy working in the vegetable garden for two days and finally finished it today. She was just waiting for the seeds to germinate so she could water and fertilize the garden.
Sweating all over, Jiang Qiuyue heated up the lunch dishes and boiled some hot water for a bath.
There is no running water at home, nor a separate shower room, so I can only wash in the kitchen with the door closed, which is very inconvenient. When Lin Zhengrong comes back, I must let him build a toilet and shower room. I can't just make do with the kitchen every day.
After Jiang Qiuyue finished washing, Xiao Li came to get the meal. In the past few days, Xiao Li's coming and going were all seen by Zhao Shufen who lived next door.
Zhao Shufen only did housework for half a day, but she couldn't stand it anymore. She couldn't help complaining during dinner, "Xiu Xiu, be more careful in the future and don't bump into things anymore, or else people will say that I'm being mean to you."
Bai Xiuxiu nodded and said yes, her uncle told her that the person she was dating was a platoon leader, a soldier under her uncle, and he was quite honest, so it would depend on whether they were attracted to each other. If this one didn't work out, she would switch to another one, since the majority of people in the army were single young men anyway.
In fact, platoon leader is not bad either. Bai Xiuxiu doesn't want to get promoted overnight. A high position means older age. She doesn't want to marry a divorced man or become someone's stepmother.
Seeing that Bai Xiu Xiu didn't refute a word she said, Zhao Shufen's words seemed to hit cotton and had no meaning.
She hadn't done housework for a long time, and her back and waist ached just from washing dishes. Thinking about the men coming in and out next door all the time, she had to prove that Jiang Qiuyue was seducing someone this time, and see who would gossip about her behind her back!
Zhao Shufen went to find Wei Meihua with a flashlight. The two talked for a long time at the door. Wei Meihua was shocked and asked, "Is it true?"
"I saw it with my own eyes, how could it be fake?" Zhao Shufen snorted, "She forced me to embarrass myself in front of so many people last time, and this time I have to teach her a lesson! You listen to me, let's do this..."
Bai Xiuxiu saw that her aunt had been out for a long time, so she waited at the door. When she learned that her aunt had gone to find Wei Meihua, she waited at the intersection where Wei Meihua passed by when she went to buy groceries the next day.
"Oh, Xiuxiu, your hands are so broken, why are you still out buying groceries?" Wei Meihua said, "Your aunt said you are hardworking, but you really can't sit still."
"Yes, auntie, I'm bored staying at home, so I just came out to help buy some groceries and do something within my ability. My aunt has a good relationship with you. She was out for a long time last night and I was very worried. I only felt relieved when I knew she was looking for you." Bai Xiu Xiu said with a smile, and went to the supply and marketing cooperative with Wei Meihua.
Thinking of what Zhao Shufen said last night, Wei Meihua felt uncomfortable. She thought that Bai Xiuxiu was her niece and must be on Zhao Shufen's side. She pulled Bai Xiuxiu's arm and whispered, "Xiuxiu, you are a good girl. You should stay away from Jiang Qiuyue next door. Jiang Qiuyue forced your aunt to slap her before, but in just a few days, there are men coming in and out of the house every day. Tsk tsk, how shameless."
"man?"
"Yes, didn't you see it?" Wei Meihua couldn't stop talking about gossip. "Your aunt told me in person that it wasn't Xiao Zhou who was beside Deputy Head Lin, but another man, who was very young."
Bai Xiuxiu saw Xiao Li going in and out of Jiang Qiuyue's house, but Jiang Qiuyue didn't say what happened, so she didn't ask any more questions. Now she heard what Wei Meihua said, and her eyes rolled, "Auntie, could this be a misunderstanding?"
"Impossible, your aunt saw them hugging each other with her own eyes." Wei Meihua was very shocked, "You can't imagine, she has only been in the family courtyard for a few days, and she seduced a man. This time your aunt will not let Jiang Qiuyue go easily. She told me that she is waiting for the adulterer to come to the house one day, and she will ask the director of women's affairs to come to the house."
"By the way, don't tell anyone else about this, lest everyone accuse your aunt of gossiping and that she was wrongly accused." Patting Bai Xiuxiu's hand, Wei Meihua added, "Don't tell your aunt either. She told me not to tell anyone."
Bai Xiuxiu said, "I will definitely not tell anyone."
This Wei Meihua is really stupid. Before she even started to ask questions, Wei Meihua couldn't help but speak out. This is exactly what the saying goes, "I'm not afraid of opponents who are like gods, I'm afraid of teammates who are like pigs." Wei Meihua is that teammate who is like a pig.
After buying the groceries, Bai Xiu Xiu found an opportunity to tell Jiang Qiuyue about Zhao Shufen's plan.
"What do you mean by hugging each other?" Jiang Qiuyue said with a sigh, "Your aunt is the kind of person who won't cry until she sees the coffin. I accepted your uncle's bacon, which means I don't care about it anymore, but she is thinking of taking revenge on me."
Jiang Qiuyue laughed as she spoke, "That's fine. I don't have a job, so I can use her for fun. Thank you, Xiuxiu. Just pretend nothing happened. Xiao Li and I are innocent. I will make your aunt regret it."
"Sister-in-law, my aunt is unreasonable, you have to be careful." Bai Xiu Xiu reminded.
"But your uncle still has to stay in the army. If Zhao Shufen is unreasonable, let her go back to the countryside." Jiang Qiuyue smiled and had an idea.
Not long after Bai Xiu Xiu left, Gao Juanjuan came back from get off work.
Jiang Qiuyue cooked salted fish and put it in a lunch box for Gao Juanjuan, saying, "Just heat it up when you get home."
"After eating your food for two days, I'm afraid I'll be thinking about it every day after I go back." Gao Juanjuan has been to many restaurants to eat, but none of them are as delicious as Jiang Qiuyue's. "If you are free one day, bring the children to play with me. I will take you to the park."
Jiang Qiuyue thought that there were still many things to do at home. It would take at least ten days or half a month for Lin Zhengrong to come back. If Lin Zhengrong was free, they could go out together.
"Okay, I'll write to you when I'm free." After dinner, Jiang Qiuyue sent Gao Juanjuan to the hospital.