Chengzhuang Village is located inland in northern Y Province, bordering L and S Provinces. Not far away is the old course of a major river, and the sandy land is barren.
What would be commonplace for many in later generations is a rare and precious item here.
It's not something you can buy with money; you have to use tickets to buy in limited quantities.
However, during the planned economy era, coupons were only available to urban residents and cadres who received government-subsidized grain rations. Farmers were self-sufficient and rarely had any coupons throughout the year.
The educated youth were better off than the farmers, as they received a fixed monthly ration, but this only included necessities such as grain coupons and oil coupons.
Moreover, the canned goods sold by the county supply and marketing cooperative were mostly fruit syrup canned goods. If you were lucky enough to find a meat canned goods, you would save it for holidays and festivals.
What's more, these are two cans of seafood, as well as kelp and dried shrimp. They look unremarkable and grayish, but they are all rare items. I wonder how much time and favors Wang Yun spent on them.
Fang Qiao was touched, but she didn't pretend to be polite with Wang Yun. Their friendship was genuine. Since Wang Yun had taken it, she didn't intend to take it back. Fang Qiao remembered her kindness and appreciated her sentiment. Friends should reciprocate each other's hospitality. The more they exchanged gifts, the better their friendship would become.
Fang Qiao put everything into the cupboard one by one, leaving only a dozen or so dried shiitake mushrooms, which she soaked in a bowl.
"Xiaoyun, I stewed some chicken. Why don't you stay for lunch? There's something else I'd like to discuss with you."
"Why didn't you ask me for help when you were killing the chicken? It takes half an hour to pluck the feathers with hot water. How could you manage with that big belly? I was worried about you." Wang Yun immediately expressed her concern for Fang Qiao's health.
Fang Qiao felt a warm glow in her heart: "It's okay, my mother-in-law cleaned the chicken, I didn't lift a finger, it wasn't tiring."
"Her?" Wang Yun couldn't help but purse her lips at the mention of Huang Yan. "Is she really that kind?"
“She had no good intentions. She stole my chicken and killed it. Tian Tian found out, so I asked the women’s director to give it back.”
"No wonder," Wang Yun said indignantly. "I knew she wouldn't be so kind as to kill a chicken for you. Did she bully you?"
"She didn't get the better of her," Fang Qiao said.
“That’s bullying,” Wang Yun said angrily. “I just ran into her at the door. How dare she stop me from seeing you and then shamelessly offer to help you?”
"She's got something on her mind." Fang Qiao's lips curled into a mocking smile.
"What are you thinking?"
Fang Qiao turned her head and glanced at the three tiled rooms in the main hall.
Wang Yun understood instantly.
Close friends understand each other without words.
Wang Yun's eyes widened, her tone filled with disbelief: "She wants this house?"
Fang Qiao nodded.
"What does your father-in-law think? Does he know about Huang Yan's plans?"
"You can't sleep in the same bed with two different kinds of people, he couldn't possibly not know that."
"This house was built brick by brick by Bai Dong for his wedding. He didn't ask for a single penny from his parents. How can you, as an elder, want the house? How can you be so shameless?"
Wang Yun grew angrier the more he thought about it, and couldn't help but spit out: "I was wondering why that old witch Huang Yan suddenly changed her ways. She was just smiling and asking if you needed her help. She's like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken, she's up to no good. It's a good thing you weren't fooled by her."
“So, Xiaoyun, why don’t you move from the educated youth settlement to live with me?” Fang Qiao said. “Money can move people’s hearts. Villagers will fight tooth and nail over a mere ten centimeters of drainage ditch. My house was built so nicely by Bai Dong, I’m afraid they’ll resort to force if persuasion fails.”
Fang Qiao had thought it through. The money and house left behind by Cheng Baidong were like gold that would tempt people to commit crimes. The Cheng family would not have a moment of peace until they seized these things.
She is no match for four hands; it's like a child carrying gold in a bustling marketplace. She'd better find some help.
Wang Yun was decisive and immediately decided after listening: "Okay, I'll move in with you. I'll move in after we eat."
Fang Qiao said, "There are bedding at home. You can just go back and get some clothes. It won't take long."
After discussing the move, Wang Yun offered to help Fang Qiao start a fire.
Fang Qiao's cooking skills were recognized by all the educated youth as the best. Even with less oil and seasoning, the dishes she cooked still tasted better than those cooked by others. Ever since Fang Qiao got married, Wang Yun had been craving her cooking for a long time.
With Wang Yun taking the initiative to start the fire, Fang Qiao no longer had to be distracted by watching the fire.
She focused on cooking, and once the wok was hot, she took out an oil jar and ladled half a spoonful of rapeseed oil into it. Then she added scallions, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, and star anise to sauté until fragrant, before adding the chicken pieces to the wok and stir-frying until fragrant.
There is no special cooking wine in the countryside, so Fang Qiao used bulk sorghum wine produced in the county.
Add the aroma of white wine, then add soy sauce, salt, and a large spoonful of soybean paste and stir-fry until the chicken is colored. Fang Qiao then adds enough water to cover the chicken, covers the pot, and starts to stew.
While stewing the meat, Fang Qiao took the opportunity to wash the shiitake mushrooms.
Seeing the shiitake mushrooms, she couldn't help but recall the cluster of half-person-high white mushrooms she had seen in 'The Wizard of Oz'.
The slices were snow-white with a hint of yellow, and each one was thick and plump, looking very fresh and delicious.
It just happened so strangely, like a dream, that Fang Qiao felt it was a hallucination in her mind.
And such a large clump, are there really mushrooms that big in the world?
Fang Qiao found it increasingly strange, and unable to figure it out, she simply stopped thinking about it. She shook her head, putting the matter out of her mind.
Fang Qiao cut the shiitake mushrooms in half and put them in the pot to stew with the chicken. She also stuck cornbread on the side of the pot. After stewing for a full hour, the aroma filled the air when the lid was finally lifted.
The chicken was tender and flavorful with a rich sauce. The corn tortillas were even more delicious when dipped in the broth. In the end, the two adults and their three-year-old daughter ate until their bellies were round.
After the meal, Wang Yun took the initiative to wash the pots and dishes, while Fang Qiao poured some hot water into a basin and washed Tian Tian's face and hands.
The child was young and not very good with chopsticks, so he ended up using his hands to eat the chicken, and his face and hands were covered in oil.
A large rooster, after being eaten once, left a whole pot of it, which Fang Qiao put into the vegetable cupboard.
Fortunately, it's cold now, below zero, so even without a refrigerator, it won't spoil in two days.
After lunch, Tian Tian took a nap, and then Wang Yun went to the educated youth center to move his things.
Fang Qiao borrowed a flatbed cart from her third aunt to put her things in, so she wouldn't have to make repeated trips back and forth.
Wang Yun didn't have much stuff; he brought it all back in one trip using a flatbed cart.
The flatbed truck was parked in front of Fang Qiao's house, and Wang Yun took it inside.
Fang Qiao assigned the west room of the three main rooms to Wang Yun. Originally, it was intended for Tian Tian to live in, but Tian Tian is small and it's hard for her to stay warm in the quilt when she sleeps alone in winter. So Fang Qiao simply cuddled her and slept together, leaving the room empty. Now it's perfect for Wang Yun to live in.
The bed and wardrobe are already in place; you can move in as soon as you bring your belongings.
Fang Qiao was wiping the table with a damp cloth, and Wang Yun was making the bed when they suddenly heard the wooden door outside creak open.
Fang Qiao looked out the window and saw that Cheng Hongmei had secretly pushed open her front door and walked in without a word.
Fang Qiao frowned.
What is she doing here?
What bad thing are they planning to do now?
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