After folding the clothes, Su Qingmeng decided to visit Aunt Dahua's house. Today, after her stove was set up, she would cook by herself. She wanted to exchange some vegetables and eggs.
Although there is everything in the space, she also needs something outside that can clearly explain its origin.
In order to exchange some vegetable seeds, Su Qingmeng took two bags of brown sugar. It was safer to barter. Aunt Dahua's daughter was pregnant, so she should need this.
After locking the door, Su Qingmeng left the educated youth point and walked west for a few minutes to reach the destination.
Aunt Dahua's house was a brick house. When Su Qingmeng entered, she was feeding chickens and greeted her, "Aunt Dahua."
"Oh, it's Su Zhiqing, come in and do it." Aunt Dahua smiled and led her into the house to pour her some water.
Su Qingmeng quickly refused, "Aunt Dahua, no, no, I want to exchange some dishes with you."
"Okay, I grow a lot of vegetables, how much do you want to exchange?" Aunt Dahua took Su Qingmeng to the backyard. She picked eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers and a bunch of green onions, which were enough for almost a week's consumption.
She exchanged a bag of brown sugar, and Aunt Dahua gave her some vegetable seeds and two vegetable baskets, one large and two small.
However, Aunt Dahua's family had no eggs left, so she took Su Qingmeng to the next door to exchange them. They were three cents each, and she exchanged 10 eggs.
"Aunt Dahua, where can I buy a water tank?" Su Qingmeng asked.
Aunt Dahua said, "You have to go to the next village to order a water jar. It's about half an hour's walk. But I have a small one at home that we don't need right now. See if you want it. It'll save you the trip."
The small water tank was 40 centimeters in diameter, enough for her. Aunt Dahua took five yuan from her and told her to have her son bring it to her at noon. Su Qingmeng said goodbye to Aunt Dahua and returned to the educated youth camp with the vegetables.
Wang Aiguo was drawing water from the well when he saw Su Qingmeng coming back with vegetables. He greeted her, "Su Zhiqing, where did you go to exchange the vegetables?" "Turn right and go to the second house, Aunt Dahua's house."
Wang Aiguo gave a thumbs up: "Great, you've become familiar with the villagers so quickly." Su Qingmeng smiled and went back to the house. This Wang Aiguo is quite lively.
After putting the purchased vegetables in the cupboard, she looked at the time. It was almost eleven o'clock. She went back to the room to change into the clothes washed yesterday. She wanted to wash all the clothes left by the original owner.
When the educated youth got off work, Zhou Wenxi saw her washing clothes and said, "We usually wash clothes directly at the river. It's more convenient and saves trouble."
Su Qingmeng thought to herself that the riverside was a high-incidence area for accidents. In many historical stories, there were women who fell into the water and had no choice but to get married after being rescued. She would never go to the riverside to wash clothes alone in the future.
Zhou Wenqian cooked while Su Qingmeng continued washing clothes. A moment later, an older man arrived with a young man who appeared to be a father and son. "Is this Su Qingmeng, the educated youth? I'll help build the stove." Su Qingmeng took out a large iron pot.
The father and son worked for more than ten minutes to install the pot. The uncle said, "Su Zhiqing, this pot needs to be air-dried for two hours before it can be used."
Su Qingmeng thanked them and gave them a few more hard candies. As they left, Aunt Dahua's son arrived with a water jar. He helped carry it into the kitchen, and Su Qingmeng gave him two hard candies as well. The hard candies were quite useful; she'd buy some more next time she went to the supply and marketing cooperative.
After Zhou Wenxi finished cooking, Su Qingmeng also started cooking. She made a simple dumpling soup.
Zhou Wenxi was eating in the kitchen, and Su Qingmeng also moved a stool out to eat.
Tomatoes and cucumbers taste good. Today's vegetables are more original and taste better than those with various hormone products and pesticide residues in later generations.
There just weren't many kinds of vegetables on the farm, so Su Qingmeng decided to plant tomatoes and cucumbers in her own plot.
While eating, she asked Zhou Wenxi about the situation at the educated youth site and the brigade, and also asked how to go up the mountain to collect firewood. Zhou Wenxi showed her the way, but said it would be better to go up the mountain with others, as it was not safe to go alone.
The female educated youth now go to collect firewood after work every day. There is not much work in the fields now, and the winter here is long, so they have to start stockpiling firewood from now on.
After dinner, Zhou Wenqian went back to her room to rest while Su Qingmeng continued to wash clothes in the space. She took off the original owner's sheets and quilt covers and washed them, then hung the quilt and mattress in the space to dry. She would use the quilt in the space first.
After the educated youth went to work in the afternoon, Su Qingmeng went to the carpenter's house and bought small items such as pot lids and spatulas, and also bought a straw hat. Finally, she had everything she needed.
Su Qingmeng strolled around the village to familiarize herself with the terrain. When she returned to the educated youth site, Tian Ke and the others had already returned, and the uncle she had met at noon was helping them set up a stove.
Su Qingmeng spoke with Tian Ke and the others, asking about the commune. From their descriptions, Su Qingmeng felt the commune was quite prosperous, boasting all the industries the county town had. So, next time she went shopping, she'd go to the commune, where she could even ride in an oxcart.
Su Qingmeng waited until five o'clock, when all the educated youth returned. The female educated youth went up the mountain together to collect firewood. There was a road east of the educated youth camp that led directly up the mountain. The trees in the northeast were tall, and now it was summer, the mountains and forests were lush with vegetation.
Su Qingmeng imitated the old educated youth and took a stick and knocked the ground as he walked, so as to scare away the snake.
Following the old educated youth, they identified some wild vegetables, including dandelions, shepherd's purse, and celery. Su Qingmeng helped Zhou Wenxi pick some, but she didn't like wild vegetables, so she didn't pick any herself.
After walking up for half an hour, they saw some dead branches. Since they were not allowed to cut down the trees, they could only pick up the dead branches.
Su Qingmeng only picked up a small bundle in an hour. Zhou Wenxi said that this was the only harvest they could get outside the front mountain. They usually didn't go to the back mountain, which was the higher mountain in the north. There were thicker branches and various animals on the back mountain.
After a while, when the male educated youth come along, it will be safer to go to the back mountain.
After returning to the educated youth site, Su Qingmeng placed the branches against the wall of her private plot. This amount of firewood could only cook four or five meals. She had to go up the mountain every day to use it, and that way she wouldn't be able to store enough firewood for the winter. Instead of going to the back mountain, she could also walk up the front mountain. The old educated youth also said that there were no big wild animals in the front mountain.
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