Chapter 129. Guaguaguaguagua.
"Thank you all for coming to help. Come on, let's eat!"
It was a cloudy day and the weather was cool, but the people working were busy as hell. I love this kind of weather the most.
Xiang Yao wore a simple homemade apron and went to the newly allocated residential land to call people for dinner.
Originally, she wanted to give more money to the people who came to help, but she didn't want to cook. After all, it was very troublesome to cook for so many people, and she had to buy a lot of vegetables and put in a lot of effort.
But early in the morning, her mother came with her two uncles, holding a large piece of meat in her hands, and said that since the house was given to her to live in, of course she couldn't just sit there and do nothing.
What else could Xiang Yao say? Of course he could only cooperate!
Fortunately, we had a lot of miscellaneous mountain products at home, and with such a big piece of meat, we didn't have to buy other vegetables and could just prepare a meal.
There aren't many types of dishes, but the portions are large and filling. Everyone can get a few large pieces of twice-cooked pork, and the other dishes are cooked with a lot of oil, so the taste is very good.
Everyone had a delicious meal with greasy mouths and was very satisfied. They were more willing to work hard in the afternoon.
Building a house is very fast these days. A dozen or twenty people work hard and in just a few days they have laid the foundation and built the walls.
On the day of raising the beam, Xiang Yao followed Yang Xiaohong's advice and followed the rules of other families. She bought some melon seeds and candies, and added some roasted peanuts that she had picked out from the melon field. She mixed them in a large basket and let the people who came take them.
Children love this kind of activities the most. Knowing that the Nie family was going to put up the beams, they came over early with their friends.
The children were all very clever, with sweet words in their mouths. They surrounded Sister Xiang Yao and called her "sister" all the time, and they were so happy.
Xiang Yao quite liked the feeling of being surrounded by children. After a while, he shared a lot of food with them. In the end, he took out a big watermelon, cut it in the yard, and gave each of them a small piece.
Little did the child know that there was no watermelon in season at this time of year. But no matter what, Sister Xiangyao was so generous! The watermelon was so sweet!
Mmm, nibble! Nibble!
After eating, the children wiped their mouths with their sleeves, and the older children took them to the foundation to help move bricks.
Xiang Yao smiled so hard that her teeth were showing. Look, she even used child labor...
but……
When I turned around, I saw a very familiar child standing aside, not working with them.
Xiang Yao raised an eyebrow and asked, "Lili?"
Xiang Lili smiled awkwardly and called out, "Sister Yaoyao."
Although Xiang Yao hated her aunt, cousin Ye Jun, and cousin-in-law Ye Fang, she had no problem with the other people in her uncle's family.
Brother Ming is so close to her, let alone Xiang Lili, a child at the bottom of the Xiang family.
"Why don't you go play with the others?" Xiang Yao asked gently.
Xiang Lili twirled her fingers, glanced at her basket of snacks, and asked hesitantly, "Sister Yaoyao, can you give me some more candy? I want to bring some for Xiaoyi..."
She knew that her sister Yaoyao was forced into marriage because of her sister-in-law. Now she wanted to ask for more food for her niece, but she was very nervous, fearing that Xiang Yao would be angry.
However, she was unwilling to share the little food she was given, because her sister-in-law often hid the food and would not share it with her.
But if I don't give her anything, she won't be in a good mood in the next few days.
Because other children will definitely tell their families that they got food when they get home, and their family members will also know.
Xiang Yao understood at a glance what the little girl was struggling with. She understood it very well and knew that Xiang Lili had a hard time at home. She had to be cautious in everything and didn't know when it would end.
So he smiled and said, "Of course."
She paused, then stood up and took a small cloth bag. While stuffing food into it, she instructed, "This small bag is specially given to you. Keep it for yourself and don't give it to anyone else. Got it?"
Xiang Lili didn't expect that her cousin was not only not angry, but also so nice to her. The big stone in her heart fell immediately.
That’s great, Sister Yaoyao didn’t hate her as well!
She nodded heavily: "Yes! I won't take it back. I will hide it quietly in a place only I know!"
Xiang Yao smiled: "Smart!"
It was the first time that Xiang Lili was praised so directly. She felt as if a little sun had taken up residence in her heart, making her feel warm and cozy.
Is she really smart?
No one had ever said that to her. On the contrary, her family always called her stupid, called her dumb, and mocked her for not knowing how to look at things and do things...
Humph, she thinks Sister Yaoyao is the smartest person in the family. If Sister Yaoyao says she is smart, then she must be smart!
Xiang Yao imparted his experience: "Sometimes you don't have to be so honest. Be lazy when you should be lazy. Don't give up what belongs to you easily. A few scoldings are nothing. Just blow it away and it will be blown away by the wind."
She knew that the little girl definitely didn't have the same fighting ability as her, but she would just curse at Zhang Juhua or others.
But as long as a person can try to ignore the insults as much as possible, she will gradually become stronger.
A girl like Xiang Lili's temperament should not be completely eroded by the atmosphere of the Xiang family.
However, Xiang Yao knew in her heart that everyone had their own choices and destiny. She was not a savior and could not do anything to help others.
Therefore, we can only encourage the other party verbally.
Little did she know that the encouragement, which she thought would not have much effect, had taken root and sprouted in the little girl's heart.
Xiang Lili delivered the snacks to her secret base and ran back again.
This time she did not enter the Nie family's house, but went directly to the homestead and worked with other children.
Although the children are small and weak, the younger ones move one brick at a time, and the older ones move two or three bricks at a time. They go back and forth again and again, and it really makes a big difference.
Xiang Yao was very satisfied with the performance of the child laborers. Although he did not invite them to dinner, he gave each of them some candy peanuts when they left.
"We'll come back this afternoon!"
"I'm coming too! I'm coming too!"
The children made a promise, then left happily with their food.
Xiang Yao called out to He Guoqiang who was mixed in with them: "He Guoqiang, don't leave, have lunch at my house."
He Guoqiang nodded without hesitation, then ran back to continue working hard to move bricks.
He moved into his new home a few days ago. Although it was just a small room, it had everything he needed.
There was not only a bed in the room, but also a wooden box for storing clothes. Sister Xiang Yao's brother also brought in a simple table, saying that it would be used for him to do his homework in the future.
Not only that, the stove was also repaired, and the women's director brought in all the pots, pans, and utensils sent by the brigade.
He has everything he needs now!
And they should have installed a very strong bolt for him and reinforced the door. As long as he inserted the bolt, no one could get in, and it would be very safe.
The night before yesterday, He Liuzhi had probably drunk some wine and ran to his door drunkenly, kicking and banging on it. Although he was a little scared, he felt surprisingly calm.
Sure enough, He Liuzhi couldn't break the door open at all, so he could only stand outside and curse, but he was soon scolded away by the uncles and aunts from the neighboring houses.
Only after leaving the He family did he realize that all his hardships were caused by his family.
And now, even though the He family was still experiencing heavy rain and wind, his little house was peaceful and tranquil. The neighbors, the adults he knew and didn't know, were like firewood in winter, giving him warmth and security.
Days like this couldn’t be better!
…
On the day the house was completed, the Nie family had an exceptionally rich meal.
Nie Baichuan's brothers brought over two large pig's feet, a large basin of fresh pig's blood, and some pork. Old Nie's fishing friend also brought over a number of small, palm-sized fish. Xiang Yao also found someone to buy a chicken...
The table was filled with meat dishes alone, and the aroma wafted through the air, making one's mouth water.
It was already past four in the afternoon. Today was the last day. Originally, only lunch was provided, but since workers still had to be paid today, they decided to make it more lively and prepared a very polite dinner.
There were still a few dishes left to cook, so everyone helped with the finishing work that wasn't their responsibility. They spontaneously smoothed the path with hoes and shovels, pulled the weeds nearby, and gathered the broken stones into a pile...
"I've been able to eat meat every day lately, and my wife says I've gained weight!"
"Oh, don't mention it. My neighbor has been coming to my house for several days asking if I need any help!"
"Tsk, I think he either wants to help or he's just craving Old Nie's food! Not to mention Old Nie even secretly told us he'd give us some money! There's always going to be someone who can't resist spreading the word."
"Oh, it smells so good! It smells so good! I saw it at noon. There were two huge pig's feet in the Nie family's yard! They were even attached to the pork trotters. Wow, this must be what they're stewing right now!"
The group of men had nothing to do at the moment, so they were doing their chores and talking to each other non-stop.
When people build or repair houses, the most they get is a meal. After all, we are all in the same team. You help me today, and I help you tomorrow. There is no question of who owes whom. Everyone is used to this rule.
But as for the Nie family, Old Nie also said very sincerely that they and his son participated little in this kind of work, so they should still give some compensation.
Even though everyone says no verbally, how can they not have the same thoughts in their hearts?
You can’t earn any work points from farming all year round, so it won’t bring you much money!
The mentality of helping others is completely different from the mentality of getting paid.
People at that time were very simple. They thought that they could eat meat every day at other people's homes and get paid after working, so they had to work hard, right?
They can't just take the money and not work!
Smelling this overbearing fragrance, even though it was not yet time for most people to eat, everyone felt their mouths watering and their stomachs were growling with hunger.
finally!
A familiar, clear voice rang out: "Everyone! It's time to eat!"
So those who were digging grass roots dropped their hoes, those who were shoveling stones dropped their shovels, and everyone dropped their work and walked towards the Nie family yard.
Eating is more important than anything else!
The large bowl placed in the center of the two large tables is today’s protagonist and the highlight - braised pig’s trotters!
The pig's feet are first stewed, then cut into pieces and stir-fried over high heat.
A mixture of chopped red and green peppers and garlic. The fat ones are plump and melt in your mouth, while the lean ones are not dry, soft and tasty, and spicy enough to go well with rice.
One bite with chopsticks, it smells so shaky and fragrant, absolutely amazing!
As for other dishes...
The pig blood soup is mixed with the fragrance of green onions, and the pig blood and white tofu are red and white, with chopped pickled cabbage floating in it.
A piece of pig blood or tofu tastes smooth and mellow, and a sip of soup tastes sour, fragrant and warm.
I felt that all the fatigue in my body was washed away in an instant.
The small miscellaneous fish are fried until both sides are golden brown before being cooked over high heat.
Small fish are piled in the golden and milky soup, dotted with chopped perilla. Although there are many bones on them, they have been fried to be crispy and fragrant. Chewing them gives you a unique taste.
The fish meat is sweet and tender, and the fish soup is thick and delicious with a hint of spiciness mixed with the special aroma of perilla. It is absolutely delicious when used to soak rice!
The other dishes also have their own characteristics, but what they have in common is that they are delicious and go well with rice!
Everyone held their bowls, without any hesitation, and ate the food and rice with big mouthfuls. It was beautiful, beautiful!
My stomach was full and all the food on the table was gone, only the soup base was left.
Some people felt it was a pity to waste the greasy soup, and couldn't help but take some rice, mixed it with the soup, and ate it in big mouthfuls.
Seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, Xiang Yao took out a small box and a small notebook.
Some people come every day, some only work half a day in the afternoon, and some come on the days they are free. In short, the amount of work done by each person is recorded in a small notebook, which serves as the basis for calculating everyone's wages.
Nie Baichuan took the notebook and explained in detail in front of everyone how much work each person had done and how much money they should get.
After the person concerned confirmed that everything was correct, Xiang Yao counted out the corresponding amount of money and handed it to the other person.
Nie Baichuan and Xiang Yao were both generous and kind in this regard. They only recorded more work, never less, so no one had any objections and everyone happily took the money.
They feel very embarrassed!
This amount of money was much more than they had imagined!
This made them feel a little guilty. If they had known earlier, they should have tried harder.
You should also call your wife and son to come and help!
After Xiang Yao finished paying the workers, he smiled and said, "We've been really troubled by you all these days! We are really grateful. Thank you all."
"No, no, it's my duty!"
"Oh! It's we who should thank you! And we got so much money! It's really embarrassing!"
Nie Baichuan smiled warmly: "This is what everyone deserves. Don't think like that."
After some polite exchanges, everyone felt happy as they put the money in their pockets.
Some were thinking about taking their wives to the county town to buy things, some were planning to pay back part of their debts tomorrow, and some were thinking about whether they would have a solution for their children’s tuition and book fees for next year.
Some are already feeling dizzy, thinking about going to the meat processing plant tomorrow to buy some pig's trotters and asking their wives to cook the same dish as just now for the whole family.
In short, they ate and drank during these days, and got money in the end. They just used up some of their strength, and everyone had a satisfied smile on their face.
Looking at such a simple and pure smile, Xiang Yao couldn't help but have a small thought in her mind.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
