Although He Chaoyang had never participated in the autumn harvest, he had heard about the intensity of the labor involved, and for a moment he really felt sorry for the little girl.
So when he heard that the little girl was going to go into the mountains to collect firewood after the autumn harvest, he blurted out without thinking, "Why would a girl like you go up the mountain to collect firewood? I have three days off. I'll go see Chunxi later to see if he has a place to stay. If it's convenient, I'll help you collect firewood for three days. That should be enough for you to burn for a while."
"I'll come back to help you gather firewood for a few days during my next vacation, and then we'll see if we can buy some coal. That should be enough for you to burn for the whole winter. The mountains here are very dangerous, especially in autumn. There are lots of wild boars and such. It's better for you, little girl, not to go."
Although she was a little embarrassed, Chen Shuning's act of exchanging a White Rabbit candy for firewood with the village children had already caused quite a bit of gossip lately. She had heard people say behind her back that she was acting like a capitalist several times.
However, in Heilongjiang Province, people need to heat the kang (a traditional heated bed) for half the year, and her small frame doesn't seem like she can go up the mountain to collect firewood, nor does she have the large number of people like the older educated youth.
She would often go up the mountain to collect firewood whenever she had time, and with that accumulated wealth, her impoverished state made it really hard for her to refuse He Chaoyang's help.
So, despite thinking it over, Chen Shuning didn't say anything in response to He Chaoyang's kindness.
Finally, he gritted his teeth and stomped his foot before speaking: "Brother He, there's no need to go through the trouble of asking your comrade if there's any room."
A while ago, the village built a few small houses for rent behind our educated youth compound. There are still two empty rooms left. They're only two cents a day for short-term rentals. If Brother He doesn't mind, I'll go rent them for a few days. You can stay here for a few days, is that alright?"
He had originally intended to stay and help out of pity and reluctance, but now that he could live in the same courtyard as the little girl, how could He Chaoyang refuse? He nodded in agreement as if afraid that the little girl would change her mind if he was late.
Because the brigade has a rule that no one is allowed to take leave during the autumn harvest unless there is an unavoidable special reason, the two discussed that Chen Shuning would go with everyone to harvest the autumn harvest as usual tomorrow, while He Chaoyang would go up the mountain to help gather firewood.
As for renting a house, Chen Shuning thought she would wait until after dinner to go to the brigade leader's house to talk about it. She could buy a kang mat and bedding on the spot. She could also come to her place to eat together, which would be convenient.
So aside from feeling a little embarrassed to trouble He Chaoyang, there wasn't anything special that needed to be prepared.
While Chen Shuning was still figuring out how to repay such a huge favor,
He Chaoyang was already thinking about whether he could get at least two bundles of firewood by going up the mountain now.
He was the kind of person who acted on his thoughts immediately. After helping to start the fire, He Chaoyang saw that there was nothing more he could do to help in the kitchen. He patted the sawdust off his hands and said, "Do you have a machete and rope? It's still early. I'll go for a walk in the back mountain."
The educated youth settlement was located at the foot of Daqingshan Mountain. It was about a ten-minute walk from here to the foot of the mountain. He Chaoyang had already surveyed the terrain when he got off the bus.
Chen Shuning didn't stand on ceremony. Since he had decided to accept the help, he didn't hold back at all. He went straight into the house to get the wood-chopping knife and hemp rope that he had prepared earlier. After seeing the person out the door, he turned around and went back to his own hut to continue cooking dinner.
In her previous life, Chen Shuning loved to cook. On weekends when she didn't go out, she would go to the small market next to her house to buy groceries and cook at home.
So these kitchen tasks really aren't difficult for Chen Shuning.
I scooped up a bowl of flour, kneaded it, and set it aside to rest. Then I washed and chopped vegetables, smuggled two cans of luncheon meat and some pork belly that I had prepared earlier from my spatial storage, and made a stew with cabbage, green beans, and tomatoes.
Next, they chopped minced meat and made meatballs. They also cooked a winter melon meatball soup. Chen Shuning, who had just mentioned that He Chaoyang hadn't eaten lunch, didn't care how hot the stove was in the room and cooked on both stoves at the same time.
Both the stew and the winter melon meatball soup take some time to prepare, so Chen Shuning thought he would take this opportunity to go and rent a house from the brigade leader. He also bought a kang mat from Uncle Yu's house next to the brigade leader's house. After returning, he tidied up the house he had just rented, laid out the bedding, and went back to the front yard.
Just then, the two dishes stewing in the pot were ready to be served. I scooped them out, put them into an earthenware pot, and placed it by the stove to keep them warm.
The dough has risen enough by now. For the main dish, Chen Shuning plans to make her best dish from her previous life: shredded pepper and salt pancakes. The pepper and salt is a ready-made packaged seasoning from her space.
After extinguishing the stove connected to the fire wall and the kang (heated brick bed), Chen Shuning started making pancakes on another stove. Soon, a rich aroma of pepper wafted from the small room, attracting Yang Xiaohong, who hadn't gone out, to peek out and find the source of the aroma.
Of course, Chen Shuning had no time to pay attention to Yang Xiaohong, who was drooling with envy. He made more than thirty palm-sized pancakes in one go, and Chen Shuning was so tired that he could hardly straighten his back.
However, I still insisted on stir-frying some green peppers and eggs, and mixing some lettuce with sesame oil. After thinking about it, I realized that three dishes and a soup wouldn't look very appealing, so I quickly stir-fried some peanuts as well.
Just as Chen Shuning set the food on the table, He Chaoyang, who was carrying two large bundles down the mountain, entered the courtyard. Chen Shuning quickly brought the water he had prepared to the door and greeted him with a smile, "Brother He, I was just about to go out to greet you. The food is ready, come and wash your hands and get ready to eat."
Looking at Chen Shuning, who was holding a basin and telling him to wash his hands, He Chaoyang felt a warmth in his heart for no reason. He couldn't help but think about whether this would be the case if the two of them got married in the future.
A gentle and lovely wife prepares a meal at home, waiting for her husband to come home from get off work so they can eat together. This is probably what home feels like. If marriage is like this, then he doesn't seem so resistant to it.
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