The Zhou family was not like the Tian family, who kept all their food, oil, salt and other things locked up. Zhou Cuiling easily measured out rice and flour from her parents' room. They cooked millet porridge and steamed a basket of three-grain steamed buns for their staple food.

First, they knead the dough, cover it and let it rise. Then the two girls took the baskets and went to the vegetable garden at the back to pick vegetables.

Aunt Yang is diligent, and Zhou Cuiling also helps out. Their vegetable garden is very well taken care of, and even in October, the vegetables are still growing vigorously.

When Meng Tao saw the two orange trees full of fruits, she told Zhou Cuiling that she gave Zhang Guoqing an orange, saying that Zhou Cuiling picked it herself. Zhang Guoqing was so happy that he put it in his pocket and was reluctant to eat it.

Zhou Cuiling scolded: "What a fool, he kept them but didn't eat them. If people saw them and took them away, they would be even less edible. But my oranges are late-ripening varieties, so we can keep them until the New Year, and he can eat as much as he wants when he comes back."

Meng Tao asked: "Where are the fruit trees? I want to find a few and plant them in the backyard so I can eat them whenever I want."

Zhou Cuiling laughed: "You are really good, do you want to plant a few more trees? Then we can make it a collective, and let you plant one or two trees in your own garden, and you can pick the fruits and exchange them for oil and salt."

"One or two trees will do, where can I get them?"

"I don't know where I got the orange tree. My father went to visit the orchard in Fengming Commune a few years ago. He saw the unqualified fruit tree seedlings that were thrown away. He picked up two and put them on the back of his bicycle and planted them. I didn't expect that they would survive and bear fruit."

Fengming Commune has an orchard? Meng Tao remembered this information.

In those days, private transactions were restricted. Although people in rural areas could go to the big market in the commune every month, grain and food were not included in the transactions. It was quite difficult to eat fruit. For families like Zhou Cuiling, who planted one or two trees, they could eat the fruit themselves or give it to relatives, but they could not sell it privately. If they really wanted to sell it, they had to send it to the public purchasing station, which purchased and sold it at a unified price. The price was very low, and it was really only enough to buy some oil and salt.

However, with the existence of the black market, Meng Tao thought that her space could change the quality of fruits. If she was really short of money, she could make some money by selling fruits, right? After picking a basket full of vegetables, Meng Tao saw a fence full of spindle-shaped bitter melons. She pointed and said, "This can also be used for cooking. Don't you eat it at home?"

Zhou Cuiling said: "This melon is too bitter. My mother grows it every year, but no one in the family likes to eat it."

"I saw people stir-frying this melon with eggs in the canteen of Qianjin Steel Plant. Many people rushed to eat it. I heard that eating it can clear liver heat and is good for the body, especially the eyes."

"Really? My dad said that after he went to the commune, he read documents and wrote reports too much, and his eyes became blurry. So let's fry this tonight and cook it for him often in the future."

"If you don't like it, just eat it every few days."

"Yes, give him one a week."

Zhou Cuiling went up and picked seven or eight bitter gourds in one breath.

The two of them carried the vegetable basket back to the kitchen. One picked, washed and cut the vegetables, while the other kneaded the dough, steamed steamed bread and cooked millet porridge. Then they began to cook one dish after another. When Aunt Yang came back from work, the food was ready. The table was filled with large and small plates, both meat and vegetables, and there were two bottles of Bamboo Leaf Green Wine in the middle.

Meng Tao went to the sales agency and originally wanted to buy bulk wine. Bulk corn wine was 48 cents per pound. Later, she saw bottled Bamboo Leaf Green Wine, which was 1.2 yuan per bottle, so she bought two bottles.

Zhou Shian pushed his bicycle and walked into the courtyard with his three sons whom he had met on the road. They were surprised to smell the aroma of sausages. The boys were excited: "We have meat to eat today? Great!"

They rushed into the house and saw their sister coming back from the city, and they cheered again.

Zhou Cuiling asked her brothers to wash their hands, and then told Zhou Shian that the sausages and beef jerky for tonight were brought back by Meng Tao from the provincial capital. She also bought some wine and wanted to treat Dad and Uncle Bao to a couple of drinks.

Zhou Shi'an looked at Meng Tao with some surprise. This timid little girl had changed a lot in just a few days. After returning from a trip to the provincial capital, she had learned the ways of the world.

He nodded: "Okay, then let your brother invite Uncle Bao over, and we'll have a few drinks in the company of Peach Blossom."

Bao Shunfeng came over quickly and asked Meng Tao as soon as they met: "Cui Ling's boyfriend said on the phone that you agreed to break up with Tian Zhigao. Can you tell us the details?"

Aunt Yang smiled and said, "Uncle Bao, please sit down and eat first. The two girls rushed back from the district early in the morning and didn't have breakfast or lunch. They cooked a table of dishes for us even though they were hungry."

Zhou Shian opened the wine, and the whole room was filled with the aroma of wine. He waved to Bao Shunfeng, "Come quickly. This wine, sausages, and beef jerky are specially given to us by Taohua girl."

Bao Shunfeng couldn't resist the aroma of wine, so he walked to the table and sat down. Looking at the dishes on the table, he smacked his lips and said, "You spendthrift girl! You only have a few dollars in your pocket, why are you buying all this? These beef jerky and sausages are all expensive!"

Meng Tao, who was serving porridge, smiled bitterly: I can't take off the hat of being a spendthrift.

Zhou Cuiling said, "Uncle Bao, you are wronging Taohua. She didn't even know where to buy these. They were given to her by someone who recognized her as a sister. She also knew that they were precious things, so she asked all of us to taste them together."

"Acknowledge Taohua as your sister? Is there such a thing?"

"Yes, that man is Zhang Guoqing's teacher. His last name is also Meng. When he saw Taohua, he said she looked like his sister, so he recognized her as his godchild. When Taohua was going home, he and Guoqing saw her off to the car and bought these sausages and beef jerky for Taohua to take home."

"Is that so, Taohua?"

Meng Tao replied: "Yes, Brother Meng also said that if he has the chance, he will come to Linshui Village to take a look."

Bao Shunfeng nodded: "Okay, as long as he is sincere, we can always afford to entertain him."

At this time, Uncle Zhou came over and joined in the fun. The atmosphere at the dinner table became lively. Everyone sat around the table, picked up their chopsticks and started eating. Everyone was hungry, so they filled their stomachs first.

People who drink always take their time, talking a lot after taking a sip of wine. When the diners are full and leave the table, the three men are still there drinking and talking.

Meng Tao did not leave the dinner table. Zhou Shi'an and Bao Shunfeng asked her to sit next to them and tell them in detail about the Qianjin Steel Plant. She did so honestly.

Zhou Shi'an and Bao Shunfeng got angry again after hearing this. Bao Shunfeng cursed and called Tian Zhigao a good-for-nothing. Zhou Shi'an put down his wine glass and said that the punishment given by Qianjin Steel Plant was too light and he just didn't have time. If he had brought Taohua there, the result would definitely not be like this.

Uncle Zhou Er said to Meng Tao, "You have worked hard in the Tian family for four years. If you hold on to it, the city girl will have no choice but to leave."

Meng Tao shook her head: "Seeing how close they are, I am completely an outsider. Tian Zhigao looks at me like a stranger. A forced melon is not sweet, so I don't want him anymore."

Uncle Zhou Er shook his head and sighed: "In this case, your grandfather's efforts are in vain. Tian Zhigao has become successful, and the benefits will go to others."

"What good can it do? With Tian Zhigao's personality, I don't think he will amount to much. There is no good person in the Tian family. It is right for Taohua to leave." Zhou Cuiling said.

Aunt Yang nodded in agreement. As the saying goes, a fire cannot be hidden. Although the brigade cadres of Linshui Village had done some work to ask the villagers not to spread the news, who could control hundreds of mouths? The "poisoning" incident of the Tian family inevitably spread, and the surrounding neighboring villages and the entire commune all knew about it.

The Tian family now has a terrible reputation. Not only does Linshui Village despise them, but villagers in surrounding villages also claim that they do not want to let the Tian family enter their village. The two younger sons of the Tian family originally studied in the commune middle school, but they were laughed at by their classmates every day. They were too ashamed to go to school and simply dropped out and went home.

Who cares about a family like that, no matter how successful or rich they are? 　Good morning, my dears! Thank you for your enthusiastic voting, and thank you for the tips from Yizi and Wowuwokan. Thank you very much! Please continue to vote and collect, don't stop! For those who have given five-star reviews, please be patient and light up five stars, thank you!

(End of this chapter)