Chapter 11
After a brief farce, the morning passed quickly.
After everyone counted the rice harvested that morning and the scorekeeper said there were no problems and they could disperse, the educated youth returned to the educated youth settlement together.
Under the clear blue sky, unlike the pitch-black night, the educated youth walked slowly, with the boys walking quickly ahead, and He He pulling Zheng Xinxin along behind Chen Jingbai.
He He's actions made Zheng Xinxin wonder if He He, who was so angry with Chen Jingbai yesterday, had been kidnapped after taking a nap, and that the He He who was now awake was the one who liked Chen Jingbai.
Just as she was thinking this, Zheng Xinxin immediately stopped her wild thoughts. He He wouldn't like Chen Jingbai. The way she was acting now, she probably didn't want to work in the afternoon and wanted Chen Jingbai to do the work for her, so she followed Chen Jingbai to try to make up for the bad impression she had on him yesterday, so that he wouldn't refuse to help her.
Also, He He helped Chen Jingbai scold those scoundrels in the morning, probably so that she wouldn't have to work in the afternoon.
"We had sweet potato porridge and stir-fried bok choy for lunch again. I'm so sick of it. When will we get a holiday?" Zheng Xinxin turned her voice down. "I really want to eat stuffed green peppers."
He He was still lost in her own thoughts. Looking at Chen Jingbai's straight back in front of her, she wondered if he really wasn't sad. Was he really as unmoved as he appeared after being scolded?
But the Book of the World describes him as a vengeful and ruthless tyrant.
After Chen Jingbai was called deaf, He He remembered that she had called him that in the past.
The more He He thought about it, the more she felt she was doomed. She had said so many things about Chen Jingbai being deaf. Could she really repair her relationship with Chen Jingbai? If Chen Jingbai was the kind of person who held grudges, then it seemed she had really offended him completely.
Zheng Xinxin didn't get a reply from He He, so she nudged He He's arm and said, "Hehe, did you hear what I said?!"
He He's unfocused gaze gradually focused, her shoulders shrugged, and she took a breath. "Huh? What did you say? I didn't hear you clearly."
"You're daydreaming. What are you thinking about?"
"I wasn't thinking about anything, I was just spacing out. I'm so tired, I want to sleep," He He said, trying to evade the question.
Zheng Xinxin: "Are you so tired today? I just said I was looking forward to the day off."
During holidays, you can go buy meat, and once you have meat, you can make delicious stuffed green peppers.
He He's eyes lit up, "I'm also looking forward to the holiday."
Back at the educated youth settlement, Zheng Xinxin was in charge of cooking today. She had just arrived at the settlement and hadn't even put down her bag when she passed by their vegetable garden and went straight in to pick enough water spinach for eight people to eat.
Zheng Xinxin was quick and efficient, and without He He's help, she followed the group back into the house.
He He changed her clothes and, while waiting for the meal to be ready, lay down on the bed to rest. She was exhausted after a long morning.
He He wanted to close her eyes and rest for a while, but she actually fell asleep while dozing off. She was only awakened when Zheng Xinxin came to call her for dinner.
He He put on her top and saw that Zheng Xinxin was still waiting for her. Remembering that she still needed to get something, she said, "Xinxin, you go eat first. I still need to get something."
Zheng Xinxin was confused, but she still agreed to go out first.
After Zheng Xinxin left, He He finally buttoned up the top button of her shirt. She got out of bed, squatted down, pulled out her suitcase, and tried to grab a can of meat.
Xin Xin said she's been eating sweet potato porridge for a while now and her mouth feels tasteless. She feels the same way; she hasn't had canned meat in a long time and she's craving it too.
She used to eat alone, and would occasionally share some with Zheng Xinxin when she was happy, unlike Cheng Surin, who was very generous and would share all the good food at the dinner table.
She's different; she's usually very stingy, but today she wants to be generous.
It was mainly for Chen Jingbai's sake. He was scolded so badly today. He used to scold him often. He He had some ulterior motives in wanting Chen Jingbai to think that she wasn't as bad as those hooligans.
It wouldn't be right to give the canned meat to Chen Jingbai alone, so she thought it would be better to give some to each of the educated youth.
She had put the canned meat at the very bottom of her suitcase; it would take a while to find it.
He He's suitcase was full of delicious food, including biscuits, candies, canned meat, and canned fruit. In addition to the Cheng family sending them, she would also buy them herself from the commune's supply and marketing cooperative, saving up to ensure that she could still eat well even when she didn't have time to go to the supply and marketing cooperative.
He He took the canned meat and then locked the suitcase again.
She walked into the canteen carrying a can of Merlin luncheon meat. Everyone was eating from their bowls, looking like they were starving.
In the past, when He He was in a bad mood, she would definitely have cursed them as reincarnations of starving ghosts.
Cheng Surin was the first to notice the canned food in He He's hand. He had sharp eyes and immediately recognized it as a can of meat. Thinking about how he would be eating while smelling the aroma of meat, his lips immediately drooped.
His aunt loves to eat alone. It's not that eating alone is bad, but every time He He eats alone, they are so hungry that they lose their bearings. This is too much. It's one thing to eat alone, but she doesn't even hide away. She has to eat meat with relish while everyone else is eating food they are about to throw up.
He He was unwilling to give it to him, and Cheng Sulin didn't dare to ask for it. If he were to ask out of greed, He He would write back to his great-grandfather and complain, and he would be finished. This kind of thing had happened before, but it happened frequently because he was greedy and didn't know how possessive He He was of her food. Over time, even if he had a hundred times the courage, he wouldn't dare to ask for it anymore.
However, Su Lin still asked enviously as usual, "He He, you seem to be in a good mood today, eating canned food."
"No, I just wanted to eat canned meat because I was in a bad mood. Can you open it for me?" He He habitually ordered Cheng Sulin around.
Cheng Surin obeyed and dutifully helped He He open the can of luncheon meat. As soon as he opened it, the domineering aroma of the meat hit him, making him swallow hard.
Not only Cheng Sulin, but all the other educated youths couldn't help but salivate when they smelled the aroma of meat.
Zheng Xinxin's eyes were glazed over with envy. "It smells so good! It's luncheon meat from Shanghai, right? I can tell just by the smell. It smells so good! Hehe, can you go back to the dorm to eat it? Don't make me so hungry! No, no, no, I can't go back to the dorm. I need to sleep later. Can you eat it in the hallway?"
Zheng Xinxin hasn't eaten meat at all for two months! If He He eats it in front of her again, she really can't resist spending money to buy some meat from He He to try.
He He took the canned meat back from Cheng Sulin's hand. "Everyone gets a share, okay? I'll sit here and eat, and I'll put a piece of meat on each of your plates."
"Really!" Zheng Xinxin almost jumped off the stool when she heard He He's words.
The other educated youth also watched He He with longing.
Really? Really?
“I never lie.” He He placed a piece in Cheng Sulin’s bowl on the opposite side, and then in Zheng Xinxin’s bowl on the right.
He He picked up the pieces one by one in order, and the educated youth began to beam with excitement. Even Zhao Dechuan, the usually most composed leader of the educated youth group, couldn't help but get excited when he saw the two-finger-sized piece of luncheon meat in his bowl.
Everyone looked at the luncheon meat and praised He He in unison.
"I'm so lucky today, I got to eat Xiao He's canned meat."
"It smells so good, really so good. Hehe, please let me prepare the water for you to wash your face tomorrow morning."
"I've never thought meat smelled so good before, Xiao He, you're so generous."
He He was a little embarrassed by the praise. Why didn't she know how to share things before? She was so happy to be praised by others. Oh right, it was because she didn't share with all the educated youth before. That's why she didn't know that when everyone praised her, it was more powerful than when one person praised her.
He He, who was handing out luncheon meat, finally walked over to Chen Jingbai, whom she really wanted to share with. After serving Sun Jiabao, who was sitting opposite Chen Jingbai, He He looked at the remaining luncheon meat and scooped out half of it.
He muttered, "It seems like there's still a lot left, it's too greasy, I can't eat that much."
Although He He was muttering, she made sure that the people around Chen Jingbai could hear her. It didn't matter whether Chen Jingbai heard her or not; it was best if he didn't. But she couldn't let the other educated youth know her selfish motives.
He He placed a large piece of luncheon meat into Chen Jingbai's bowl, saying, "You got a good deal."
After finishing, He He quickly returned to her seat.
Chen Jingbai looked at the luncheon meat that occupied half of the bowl, then glanced at the luncheon meat in Sun Jiabao's bowl. The amount He He had given him was at least two more pieces than the luncheon meat in Sun Jiabao's bowl.
Was He He trying to comfort him? Why did she put so much food on his plate?
Chen Jingbai broke off a small piece of luncheon meat, put it in his mouth, and found the meat to be firm and salty with a very fragrant flavor.
According to Zheng Xinxin, this is Meilin brand luncheon meat produced in Shanghai. He remembered that his family used to eat this brand of luncheon meat when he was a child, but it had been so long that he had forgotten what luncheon meat tasted like.
The luncheon meat Hehe gave him today awakened his childhood memories.
Chen Jingbai stuffed a large mouthful of sweet potato porridge into his mouth, trying to mask the saltiness of the luncheon meat.
He looked up and met Sun Jiabao's gaze. Sun Jiabao was winking and making cryptic jokes.
Chen Jingbai looked at Sun Jiabao and asked, "Is it delicious?"
Sun Jiabao was still laughing when he heard Chen Jingbai's question. He subconsciously replied, "It's delicious. There's no such thing as bad meat, and canned meat is even more delicious."
"Eat more if it's delicious."
"Hmm!" Sun Jiabao put his hand to his mouth and made a zipper-like motion, shutting his mouth and stopping his laughter. He would never tease Chen Jingbai again!
Everyone happily finished their lunch. With the luncheon meat He He provided, the food was incredibly delicious. A small piece of luncheon meat with a bite of rice was pure bliss.
Zhao Dechuan: "I'm so full! It makes all the difference with meat. This is the most delicious meal I've had in months."
Zheng Xinxin: "Luncheon meat smells so good, I'll definitely have a sweet dream at noon."
He He eats slowly, and since she arrived late, everyone else had finished eating while she still had half a bowl of rice left.
Hearing everyone's praise once again, He He suddenly wanted to see what Chen Jingbai was doing, so she looked up and secretly peeked at Chen Jingbai.
As luck would have it, their eyes met.
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