Fu Qingqing's half-joking, half-serious words, tinged with a bit of childish longing, made the atmosphere in the room a little more relaxed.
Dong Yulan and Fu Zhewei's tense faces finally revealed a faint smile, although there was still some heartache hidden in that smile.
"What nonsense are you talking about? You're even talking about founding a sect." Dong Yulan glared at her daughter in disapproval, but her eyes were full of warmth. "If you can learn some skills and not be bullied, Mom will be satisfied."
Lin Jianxue felt relieved when she saw that Fu Qingqing had finally figured it out.
She clapped her hands and signaled everyone, "Okay, since Qingqing also wants to know, then this matter is settled. Come on, are you all hungry? Hurry and eat something to fill your stomach."
She opened the aluminum lunch box, revealing the braised pork inside.
Meat is a precious commodity these days, let alone such a fragrant and delicious braised pork.
Fu Qingqing was just busy feeling aggrieved and angry, but when she smelled the fragrance, her stomach immediately started to growl. Her little face turned slightly red, and she reached out and took a bun without hesitation.
Fu Zhawei looked at his sister wolfing down the food, then looked at Lin Jianxue with a complicated look. In the end, he just silently picked up a bun and ate it in small bites.
Dong Yulan looked at the food on the table with mixed feelings.
Lin Jianxue noticed her embarrassment, picked up the chopsticks, picked up a few of the largest pieces of braised pork and put them into a clean enamel bowl, and also put two meat buns in it.
She handed the food to Dong Yulan and said softly:
"Auntie, take these and bring them to Uncle Fu later. He works hard on the farm and must be worried about Qingqing. Go and give him some food and tell him that Qingqing is fine, so he can relax."
Dong Yulan took the still warm oil paper bag and her eyes suddenly turned red.
Her lips moved a few times, a thousand words stuck in her throat. In the end, she could only utter a low, choked voice: "...Thank you, Xiaoxue. I'm sorry...I've cost you money again."
Lin Jianxue curled her lips and smiled faintly: "Auntie, why are you being so polite to me? We are old neighbors and now we are sent down here together. We should help each other. Stop talking like that, or I won't bother to come to your house next time."
She turned to look at Fu Qingqing, who had almost finished eating, and then looked at Fu Zhewei, who had been silent and paying attention to them with his eyes, and said:
"Qingqing, go inside, comb your hair, and wash your face. We're going to ask someone for a favor, so we have to be alert and make a good impression, okay?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Qingqing immediately put down the half-eaten bun in her hand and responded crisply, "Hey! I understand, Sister Xiaoxue! I'll go right away!"
After saying that, he ran into the inner room like a gust of wind.
Fu Zhewei also stood up and said in a deep voice: "...I'll go change into clean clothes."
There were still some spots of mud on his clothes, probably from when he hurried back earlier.
After a few minutes, the brother and sister came out again.
Fu Qing washed her face and re-combed her hair into two neat braids. Although her eyes were still a little swollen, she looked much more relaxed.
Fu Zhawei changed into a half-worn, starched, and cleanly washed blue work shirt, which made him look taller and more upright, and the coldness between his eyebrows softened a little.
Lin Jianxue raised her wrist to look at her watch. It was already noon.
"It's almost time, let's go." She stood up. "Let's go to the supply and marketing cooperative in town first and buy some things. It's not too late to go and ask for help empty-handed."
The three of them said goodbye to Dong Yulan and walked towards the town together.
When we arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative, there weren't many people there.
Lin Jianxue walked over to the counter selling side dishes and said to the salesperson, "Comrade, could you please weigh out a pound of eggs and two pounds of walnut cakes?"
Nowadays, eggs and snacks are hard currency when visiting relatives and friends, especially walnut cakes, which are considered to be quite good gifts.
The salesperson weighed the items laboriously and tied them carefully with straw ropes.
Lin Jianxue was about to take out money to pay for the ticket when a bony, slightly rough hand reached out and held her hand.
It is Fu Zhewei.
"I'll pay."
Lin Jianxue looked up at him and met his deep and calm eyes.
Fu Zhewei pursed his lips, seeming a little uncomfortable, but he still added: "Last month, I exchanged my work points for some money... enough."
Lin Jianxue looked at his slightly tense jawline and instantly understood what he was thinking.
He is the eldest son of the Fu family. Now his family has fallen on hard times, his parents are under supervision, his mother is in poor health, and his sister is young. He carries a heavy burden in his heart.
A man's self-respect and responsibility would not allow him to appear too powerless in such matters, especially in front of her.
Her heart moved slightly, and she didn't insist any longer. She gently withdrew her hand and nodded: "Teng."
Fu Zhawei seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and took out money and tickets from his pocket and handed them to the salesperson.
Carrying a net bag of eggs and walnut cakes wrapped in oil paper, the three of them left the supply and marketing cooperative and walked towards the Su family in Tonghua Village.
The Su family is at the east end of the village, near the foot of the mountain.
From afar, one can spot a courtyard that stands out from the surrounding mud houses. The blue brick walls, while showing their age, are clearly far more imposing than those of other houses in the village. The courtyard is large, the walls high, and it's clear this family's ancestors were once prosperous.
But now, the high walls and closed gates exude a sense of loneliness and silence that is incompatible with this bustling village.
Lin Jianxue walked to the mottled vermilion door, took a deep breath, raised her hand, and gently knocked on the doorknob.
“Knock knock knock—”
The crisp knock on the door was particularly clear in the quiet afternoon.
After a while, a slightly older, wary female voice came from the yard:
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