To comfort the man who had been left alone at home all morning, Chen Shuning made He Chaoyang's favorite braised pork with eggs and spicy chicken for lunch.
Both dishes were very flavorful, and the rich aroma of meat filled the entire educated youth compound.
Wang Chunni and Xu Laidi, who had gone up the mountain to collect firewood with Shen Dayang early in the morning, smelled that familiar scent as soon as they entered the courtyard. Knowing that Chen Shuning had returned, the two rushed straight to the backyard.
Since Wang Chunni's wedding was scheduled for the end of the year, Xu Laidi was left alone at the educated youth settlement after that.
Although Hsu Lai-ti has been able to live in a single room since the warehouse was renovated, living alone has its drawbacks, namely the problem of heating in winter.
Xu Laidi's family was poor, and one person simply couldn't afford the cost of buying coal for the entire winter.
So, worried about her friend, Wang Chunni started getting up early and working late into the night to drag Xu Laidi into the mountains to collect firewood, hoping to help her friend store more firewood for the winter before she got married.
That's why, even though they lived next door, Chen Shuning and his wife didn't hear a thing when they came back last night, having been exhausted all day.
Before Chen Shuning even got up in the morning, the two of them had already packed up and gone up the mountain.
So it wasn't until now that the two of them realized Chen Shuning had returned.
Wang Chunni tossed the firewood behind her to Shen Dayang beside her and excitedly ran into Chen Shuning's house.
Seeing that familiar figure busy in the kitchen, Wang Chunni was so excited that she burst into tears.
But Chen Shuning, who had just ladled out half of the braised pork and was adding potatoes to the pot, was startled.
She hurriedly turned to look at the little girl crying at her door, haphazardly dumped the potatoes into the pot, and then grabbed Wang Chunni's hand, asking, "What's wrong? Who bullied you?"
He Chaoyang, who was sitting on a small stool helping Chen Shuning tend the fire, was also bewildered by Wang Chunni's sudden crying and looked at her in confusion.
Chen Shuning asked anxiously, "Chunni, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Did someone bully you?"
To their surprise, Wang Chunni's next words left both of them speechless, neither laughing nor crying.
Wang Chunni sobbed and wiped away her tears, saying, "No, no one bullied me. I just thought you wouldn't be able to attend my wedding, Shuning."
I didn't expect you to come back early; these tears of joy are for you.
Wang Chunni can be said to be Chen Shuning's first friend in this world. In addition, Wang Chunni and Xu Laidi are both very honest people, so Chen Shuning cherishes the friendship between them.
I was so nervous because I saw Wang Chunni crying at the door.
Hearing this reason, Chen Shuning was both amused and exasperated. She reached out and slapped Wang Chunni, who had startled her, and complained, "You little brat, you scared me to death! I thought someone had bullied you."
What's wrong? Are you getting all pampered by love? Is this all you're crying over? Look what you've done to Fourth Brother Shen!"
Shen Dayang, who was following behind Wang Chunni, also came to his senses at this moment. He looked at Wang Chunni and a smile appeared on his face.
He knew that Wang Chunni and Chen Shuning had a very deep friendship. Some time ago, Wang Chunni had argued with him for several days because the wedding date was set before the new year.
The reason is that her good friend Chen Shuning won't be back until after the Chinese New Year and won't be able to attend her wedding.
So when Shen Dayang saw Chen Shuning return, he was very happy. He didn't want his wife to have any regrets on such a joyous day as their wedding.
Wang Chunni laughed when she heard Chen Shuning's words. She gently punched Chen Shuning and said, "You rascal, you always tease me. I was just too excited. I'm so happy that you're finally back."
Chen Shuning said with a smile, "Alright, alright, stop crying. If you keep crying, it will break Fourth Brother Shen's heart."
Upon hearing this, Wang Chunni blushed instantly. She secretly glanced at Shen Dayang, who had somehow appeared beside her, then looked at Chen Shuning, before lowering her head in embarrassment.
Shen Dayang laughed when he saw Wang Chunni's expression.
He walked over to Wang Chunni, gently put his arm around her shoulder, and said, "Stop crying. You've been nagging about Shuning not coming back every day. Now that she's back, you should be happy. Why are you crying?"
Upon hearing Shen Dayang's words, Wang Chunni's tears flowed again.
She nodded, then said to Chen Shuning, "It's so good that you came back early. Shuning, you don't know, if there weren't so many good days for weddings after the New Year, I definitely wouldn't have agreed to set the wedding date before the New Year. It's so good that you were able to come back now."
Chen Shuning was also moved to tears by this innocent girl. She looked at Wang Chunni with her heart full of blessings and joy.
After catching up with Wang Chunni and Xu Laidi for a while, Chen Shuning learned that the three of them were going to the mountain again in the afternoon. He told them to go back and wash their hands and faces first, and that he would bring them the food when it was ready.
Chen Shuning used the broth from the braised pork to stew a large pot of potatoes. Of course, there was also braised pork. Chen Shuning stewed a large pot of braised pork with eggs, and only half of it was scooped out. The rest was stewed with potatoes.
I plan to send some to Gu Xinyi and Wang Chunni later, and also to Zhou Jihong, who gave her some multigrain pancakes this morning. Chen Shuning doesn't like owing favors, so it's best to repay Zhou Jihong for those multigrain pancakes as soon as possible.
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