"Uncle, I'm sure. Could you tell me a rough price? I'll have the money ready in advance."
Tang Baozhu's space wasn't devoid of ginseng, but she wasn't sure which was more effective—the medicinal properties of the ginseng she grew or the wild ginseng she dug up outside. So she wanted to compare them.
"Since you're sure you want it, I'll pick it for you next time I go up the mountain to collect herbs. For ginseng that's less than ten years old, just give me ten yuan."
"Okay, thank you, Uncle. I'm Tang Baozhu, a sent-down youth from Xiaosang Village. You can come find me after you've finished harvesting the ginseng."
The uncle nodded, indicating that he had made a note of it.
Tang Baozhu felt much better after resolving the major issue that had been on her mind. Feeling there was nothing else she needed to buy, she prepared to head home.
Once outside the market, I could see Gu Chengxu still standing there in the distance. I hesitated for a moment, thinking that if I didn't go over, people would think I was scared.
Moreover, other male comrades from the educated youth compound were standing nearby, but none of the female comrades had returned. It seems they can still wander around quite a bit.
He walked over and stopped five meters away from them, picked up a large rock at random, and plopped down on it.
Sitting on a rock, I picked up a twig and started scratching it on the ground. I was just so bored.
Suddenly, a pair of shoes appeared in front of him. He looked up and saw it was Comrade Gu. "Comrade Gu, is there something you need?"
Gu Chengxu handed the twisted dough sticks he had just bought to the little girl, saying, "I thought you must be hungry after shopping for so long, so I bought these especially for you. I don't know if you'll like them. If you don't, tell me what you want to eat and I'll go buy it for you."
Tang Baozhu looked at the items in front of her, paused for a moment, worried that if she said she didn't like them, he might continue to buy other things, so she simply took them.
"Thank you, Comrade Gu."
After taking it, I felt a little uncomfortable, so I handed him two big steamed buns, pretending I had taken them from a basket.
That should mean we're even.
Gu Chengxu didn't feel that they were even; he just felt that the girl was interested in him too. Otherwise, why would she give him such a nice steamed bun?
Thinking about what the girl had just said to him, he figured she was just young and not very bright yet. He figured she'd be fine when she got older. Anyway, he didn't think he was that old, and he could wait.
After waiting for about half an hour, Li Feifei and the other female comrades all returned. When they saw Comrade Gu next to Baozhu, they winked at her and teased her.
Tang Baozhu pretended not to see it. If she really wanted to argue, these young girls and boys were all her great-grandchildren.
On the way back, Gu Chengxu walked with everyone. After Tang Baozhu and the others entered the village, he circled back from the mountain on the side.
Regardless of how you look at it, his attitude made people feel very comfortable. He escorted them all the way back and then rushed back.
She must have known there was a market today, which is why she adjusted her rest time to come over. Otherwise, she wouldn't believe such a coincidence. The military isn't like other places where you can rest whenever you want.
"Baozhu, Comrade Gu is so outstanding, aren't you tempted?"
"I'm still young, no rush. Feifei is already dating and in her twenties, but she's not in a hurry to get married. I'm only seventeen or eighteen, what's the rush?"
Tang Baozhu's words made Li Feifei very embarrassed. She looked up and glanced cautiously at Zhang Jianguo, only to find him looking at her with great enthusiasm. Her face turned even redder with embarrassment.
Now everyone can see it clearly. Zhang Jianguo has wanted to get married for a long time, but Li Feifei probably didn't agree. Judging from Li Feifei's shy look this time, she should be getting her wedding candy soon.
Back at the educated youth settlement, we hurried inside. We hadn't even had lunch because we were rushing to the market, and it was long past lunchtime.
I didn't feel like cooking lunch, but then I remembered the delicious sesame paste I smelled at the market, so I made a bowl. Since Baozhu doesn't like it too thin, I made it quite thick, and she thought it tasted pretty good.
Moreover, because it's made with fried flour, it's very filling, perfect for when you're too lazy to cook.
I felt a little regretful for a moment. I only bought ten pounds. The next market will probably be before the Lunar New Year. I can make more money and buy more before the New Year.
Time flies, and before we knew it, it was almost time to start work. Soon we could hear the team leader speaking through a loudspeaker, announcing that work would begin tomorrow.
Tang Baozhu felt that since it had just drizzled a couple of days ago and stopped today, she had originally planned to go mushroom picking tomorrow. However, since she had to go to work tomorrow, she decided to go today instead.
She had heard that there were many rare and precious mushrooms in the mountains and forests, and she wanted to see if she was lucky enough to pick a lot.
He also collected the soil from the mushroom-picking area into the small space, so that there would be a continuous supply of mushrooms in the future. Although he didn't know how to cultivate them, with the all-powerful robot around, there was nothing it couldn't handle.
He picked up his basket, locked the door, and asked the others in the yard, "Captain Jin just said we have to go to work tomorrow. I'd like to take advantage of the free time today to pick some mushrooms. Is anyone free to come along?"
Li Feifei came out of the kitchen carrying a basket. "Everyone has been preparing for a while. I was thinking of reminding you, but I didn't expect you to think of it too. Anyway, the sun is slowly coming out now. If we pick a lot of mushrooms, we can dry them into mushroom chips. We don't have to worry about them spoiling. It's just that everyone should wear rain boots, or wrap their knees with tarpaulin. It rained a couple of days ago, so the mountains will definitely be very humid. We should take precautions."
Those who had rain boots wore them, and those who didn't wrapped their shoes in oilcloth. Tang Baozhu also quickly went back to the house to change into a pair of rain boots. She really hadn't noticed that it would be very damp on the mountain. It was indeed better to stay with the older educated youth; at least their experience was richer and could help the new educated youth avoid some detours.
Once the gate to the educated youth settlement was locked, everyone went up the mountain. Except for Tang Baozhu, who ate alone, they all ate together. So they worked together, picked mushrooms together, and rarely had any conflicts.
Not long after we got up the mountain, we saw other people in the mountains. They were picking mushrooms because it had just rained and they didn't have to go to work.
"Everyone should spread out! You definitely won't find any mushrooms if you stay together. There are many people on the mountain, so be careful. It's best for girls to go in pairs; it's safer that way."
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