Sitian's face lit up with a big smile, and then she leaned closer mysteriously.
"If you like it, that's fine. I'm only giving it to you, so you can't tell anyone else, okay?"
Zhu Qinghao smiled gently. She was the one reminding the girl not to let others see, so how did it become her reminding herself not to tell anyone?
"Okay, okay, I promise I won't tell anyone. From now on, it'll just be the two of us eating secretly."
Si Tian's mouth was stuffed full of noodles, her cheeks puffed out, and she nodded like a chick pecking at rice.
"Mmm..."
After lunch, the two went out together again.
This time, they were going to buy furniture at the place that Captain Wu had told them about. Their home was really too empty; apart from the luggage they brought, there was only a kang (a heated brick bed) and a stove.
Zhu Qinghao guessed that if these two items hadn't been impossible to take with her, she probably wouldn't have had the chance to be left behind.
Following the captain's directions, they quickly arrived at the outside of a small courtyard, but before they could get close, they heard loud barking from inside.
A short while later, an elderly woman with mobility issues came out. She looked somewhat bewildered upon seeing the two unfamiliar faces.
"Young ladies, who are you looking for?"
"Hello, Grandma! Is this Uncle Gao the carpenter's house? We are the new educated youth who arrived today. My name is Zhu Qinghao, and this is my friend Si Tian."
We had nothing when we got home, and then the brigade leader told us we could exchange some things at your house. We're not sure if we've bothered you.
After Zhu Qinghao explained her purpose, the old lady suddenly understood.
"Oh, it's you two young educated youths. This is the place. The carpenter you're looking for is my son. Come in and have a seat."
"Okay, thank you, Grandma Gao!"
Zhu Qinghao and Si Tian smiled and agreed, and were about to go inside when the fierce barking of the dogs came out again.
Grandma Gao, perhaps afraid they would be frightened, turned around and called out:
"Lai Cai, be quiet."
After that, the dog over there indeed stopped barking.
Grandma Gao smiled and invited them in.
"Don't be afraid, you two young educated youths. Lai Cai is very well-behaved. It only barks and doesn't bite. Besides, it's on a leash, so there's nothing to worry about."
Zhu Qinghao was initially a little scared, but as soon as she heard that the dog was on a leash, she immediately straightened her back.
Si Tian wasn't afraid at all, and was even a little interested in dogs, but she didn't say anything because she saw that Zhu Qinghao seemed a little scared.
Seeing that the other party no longer seemed afraid, she stopped holding back and chatted warmly with the old lady.
"It's alright, Grandma Gao. We can tell it's very well-behaved. It stops barking as soon as you call it. It's really smart."
Grandma Gao probably really likes her dog; when she heard Si Tian praising her dog, her face was filled with a kind smile.
"Yes, Laicai has been with my family for eight years. It's very sensible and understands human nature. My grandson fell into a ditch back then, and it was Laicai who kept calling for help that saved him."
Following Grandma Gao inside, Zhu Qinghao and the others saw a room full of wooden furniture: washbasin stands, wooden buckets, wooden basins, tables, stools... covering almost all the common wooden furniture found in rural areas.
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