Then he quickly turned around to get a bowl, carefully mixed lard, soy sauce, salt and other seasonings, and when the noodles were just the right amount of springy and slippery, he quickly scooped them out and placed them in a bowl. Finally, he sprinkled a handful of emerald green onions on them. A bowl of light yet delicious, steaming hot Yangchun noodles appeared before his eyes.
In order to provide Yin Yunjie with better supplies for his continuous work, she specially added a golden and tempting fried egg for him. Just looking at it would increase one's appetite.
Following her gentle call, Yin Yunjie, who was busy chopping firewood outside the door, walked into the house and was greeted by the bowl of Yangchun noodles filled with his wife's warmth.
While Xu Qinghe arranged his after-meal tasks, he didn't forget his own plans. "After you finish eating, go find some people to start the foundation work. I'll go check on the house site first. I estimate that it should have been cleared. This way, we can divide the work and work together to finish it quickly so that we don't have to wait until nightfall to return home."
Before she finished speaking, she had already prepared breakfast for herself and her mother-in-law Zhu Yunxiu. She carefully delivered Zhu Yunxiu's portion to the room, and then sat down to quietly enjoy this simple happiness.
Yin Yunjie didn't say much, just responded with a low "OK", then lowered his head and focused on the bowl of Yangchun noodles in front of him that was filled with love.
In this era of material scarcity, it is rare to find a family that is so generous in using cooking oil to make a bowl of noodles, but Yin Yunjie gradually realized that Xu Qinghe was always so generous in food, and every dish she made seemed to be more delicious than those made by others, leaving people with an endless aftertaste.
In a short while, he had finished the big bowl of noodles and the clear soup, and was still not satisfied.
Just as he was about to get up to wash the dishes, Xu Qinghe walked over lightly and gently stopped him, saying, "Put it down. I'll clean it up together later. Go and do your thing."
Yin Yunjie did not refuse, but simply replied "OK" and turned to walk out the door.
Xu Qinghe quickly tidied up the dining table and without any delay, rushed towards the homestead.
As expected, there was nothing there except a few weeds that needed to be cleared, just as she had expected.
She had just stopped to rest when she heard familiar voices talking in the distance. Yin Yunjie returned with several strong men he knew from the village. Most of them were in their prime, around forty or fifty years old, with strong muscles and eyes that showed their rich experience in construction. They had a deep tradition of mutual assistance and no matter which family was building a new house, they would always spare no effort to lend a helping hand.
When Yin Yunjie invited the craftsmen, he had already gone through some detailed negotiations and finally decided on a daily wage of fifty cents per person. Although this price was considered quite generous in the surrounding areas, given Yin Yunjie's inner anxiety and his promise to everyone that as long as they worked harder, there would be additional rewards, this remuneration seemed very fair and reasonable to everyone.
When the craftsmen arrived one after another, Xu Qinghe addressed each elder affectionately as "uncle" in a gentle and warm manner like a spring breeze, which made these rough men smile with satisfaction on their faces.
"Oh, you two young couple really know how to behave. Don't worry! We old bones will definitely work hard to build a solid nest for you as soon as possible. Let's get started now!"
The leader, Li Shengli, is a weathered old craftsman who is 55 years old but still in good spirits.
"If you have any special designs or ideas for the new house, just tell us. As long as it can be done, we will definitely not hesitate." Li Shengli's eyes sparkled with the pride and confidence of a craftsman.
Xu Qinghe already had some small ideas about the new home in her mind, and she was still hesitating about how to start the conversation. But now that Li Shengli took the initiative to ask, her worries instantly disappeared.
"That's great, Uncle Li. I'll draw a rough sketch later, and we can study it together then. I can't guarantee whether it can be realized, but I feel most at ease leaving it to you and everyone else."
Her words were just right, and Li Shengli and his group all nodded in praise. They all expressed their willingness to wait patiently. They would concentrate on laying a solid foundation for the next two days, and they could communicate any new ideas at any time.
After receiving the payment, the craftsmen were naturally full of energy. No one showed any impatience. Everyone was dedicated and ready to work hard.
Yin Yunjie was responsible for handling various external affairs, while Xu Qinghe hurried home and boiled a pot of sweet and delicious rock sugar and pear water to cool everyone down.
Afterwards, the two of them set out on the journey into the city together.
On the way, Yin Yunjie suggested, "I have to go to the brick factory to purchase building materials first. Why don't you go to the market first? Once I've finished my business, we can go investigate those people together."
Xu Qinghe gently refused: "Forget it, I'll go to the brick factory with you. I don't have anything special to buy anyway."
In that era when communication was not well developed, she was worried that if they were separated, they might miss each other due to the inconvenience of contact and waste precious time.
Yin Yunjie thought for a moment and said gently, "That's fine. After all, you and grandma will be living in the new home most of the time. You should personally pick out some things you like to make the home more cozy."
Listening to these caring words, Xu Qinghe felt a warm current surge in her heart, and she secretly vowed to take better care of Yin Yunjie in the future.
As the two were walking and talking, a hurried-looking woman approached.
Xu Qinghe looked over curiously and found that it was Su Qifen, a familiar face.
Su Qifen was jogging back from the neighboring village. She learned that the village was holding an open election for scorekeepers, and as one of the few educated women in the village, she fully met the candidate criteria.
She secretly thought that if she could be successfully elected, perhaps her parents would be able to see her own value and would no longer make rash decisions about her marriage, nor would they casually marry her off to people whose conditions did not match her.
Su Qifen lowered her head and walked hurriedly, and accidentally met Yin Yunjie and Xu Qinghe who were riding leisurely towards the city.
When she thought of her situation of living under someone else's roof and her family's cold attitude, she couldn't help but glare at Xu Qinghe fiercely, her eyes filled with jealousy and hatred. For a moment, she even imagined that she could pull Xu Qinghe off the back of the bicycle and teach him a lesson to relieve the hatred in her heart.
Su Qifen's return triggered a wave of calculations in Xu Qinghe's mind.
This was not only a chess piece she had carefully arranged, but also a key step in overthrowing the Yin family and avenging the original owner.
Deep down in his heart, Xu Qinghe longed more than anyone else to see Su Qifen standing on the stage of victory, because that would be the fuse that would trigger the Yin family to value Su Qifen's worth, and then drive them to spare no effort to marry Su Qifen.
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