Jiang Xinyu not only lent Qu Xiaoli five pounds of preserved at, but also so seaweed soaked this morning from her own ho.
No matter if it’s stewed with at or made into a salad, it’s pretty good.
Since the family prepared stead three-grain buns for lunch, that’s what lunch would be, but it certainly wasn’t enough for ten-plus people, so in another pot, they made flatbreads, also from three-grain flour.
The pot was filled with stewed at, with potatoes, beans, eggplants, and seaweed. A big pot full to the brim.
For the cold dish, cucumbers and tomatoes were prepared.
By the ti Li Yungui led the guests back ho, the aroma of at was already in the air.
"Old Li, your family still has at to eat?"
Li Yungui replied with a smile, "My family can’t afford it. Don’t even think about it, it must’ve been borrowed from the college graduate’s house in our village.
She just had a baby, and she’s the only one in the village who has so supplies stored."
"Your village still has a college graduate?"
"Indeed, she’s quite extraordinary. Co on, let’s get inside; today I finally get to eat so at."
"Haha, Old Li, why do you make it sound so pitiful?" Wang Shulin teased Li Yungui.
"I’m not exaggerating, I really haven’t eaten at for a long ti."
"Your village is right next to the mountains, isn’t it hard to get at?"
"No one dares to go in. A few years ago, our village’s hunter went into the mountains and never ca out. So I’ve sternly warned everyone here that they can’t risk it for cravings; we have elders and children at ho to care for."
Li Yungui’s house is just a regular six-room layout. It was too hot inside, so Qu Xiaoli simply put two tables together under the jujube tree in the yard.
Cucumbers and tomatoes were already on the table, along with a bowl of pickles, a bowl of thick sauce, and a platter of scallions.
The flatbread was done too, now just waiting for the at and buns to be ready.
There weren’t enough bowls and chopsticks at ho, so the family had to wait for the guests to finish eating before they could eat.
Li Yungui invited everyone to sit. There weren’t enough stools, and Qu Xiaoli had borrowed so from three families.
"Dear, we can start eating soon."
When the two large bowls of stewed dishes were brought out, the fragrance filled the entire yard.
"We only have at at ho, no alcohol, so bear with it everyone."
"This is already quite nice; I haven’t eaten at in half a year."
"Who hasn’t? We don’t even have at coupons, so even if we want to buy it, we can’t."
With over ten people’s appetites, it was still quite substantial, but everyone knew how tough life was for each family now, so they only ate until half-full, with a pot of stewed dish left over.
Xing Xiangzhang, after finishing his al, sighed, "I haven’t had seaweed like this for years. I heard that regularly eating it is good for your health."
Several others nodded; adding seaweed to the stewed at indeed gave it a good flavor.
While they were eating, Qu Xiaoli was already getting another pot of flatbreads ready. The children at ho still hadn’t eaten yet.
After eating, Xing Xiangzhang departed, and as he left, the people he brought with him all left as well.
Now the children ca back, with their stomachs growling from hunger.
Qu Xiaoli had her own intentions, leaving more at for the kids. She wanted them to enjoy a rare treat too.
The rest of the mothers and children finished off all the food.
Changling patted his belly, "Second Aunt, this al was really good."
"It’s the at that was so tasty, wasn’t it?"
The kids giggled as Qu Xiaoli firmly told them to go to sleep. Li Xue helped Qu Xiaoli clear the table.
"Xue’er, you also go rest for a bit; Second Aunt can handle it."
"No worries, Second Aunt, I’m not tired."
"Why is my Xue so considerate?" Qu Xiaoli, having no daughter, held her niece so dear that the two were particularly close.
Li Yungui, after sending off Xing Xiangzhang and the others, didn’t go ho but went straight to the construction site. The stones hadn’t arrived yet, but this afternoon the foundation should definitely be dug up.
He just lay down on the ground, feeling content, thinking that the money for this year’s tractor could be covered. If life kept going like this, there was real hope.
Wei Kaiyun returned ho, finished eating, and lay down to rest.
"Wife, I’m going to Old Yang’s this afternoon."
"Then you should sleep now. It’s already September, but it’s still too hot at noon, look how tanned you are."
"Wife, are you disdaining ?"
"Yes, you’ve beco unsightly."
Wei Kaiyun knew his wife was showing concern and saying it in a way like this.
"I’m heading to Old Yang’s to get so blue bricks. Besides, the people working for him are all from the city, so they don’t need to harvest in the fall. We might as well just have them build the house."
"Can they do it? Wouldn’t Li Yungui disagree?"
"We’ll know once we ask."
"Why are you so eager to get the factory built?"
"That way, when we go out, it will be legitimate."
"Okay. I’ll prepare so carrots for Xiao Li; make sure she eats them every day. They need to be stir-fried in oil, so the baby will be healthy when born."
"Sure, I got it. I’ll pluck so from the field after I wake up."
Wei Kaiyun set off on his bike with half a bag of carrots.
He dropped the carrots off at ho and then went to the field to find Old Yang.
"Xiao Wei, what brings you here?"
"Can you get blue bricks?"
"I can."
"I’m building a factory, so I need a lot of blue bricks."
"No problem."
"Can your people build houses?"
"They can’t do large work, but they can do smaller tasks. My house was built by a city mason."
"I want to get it up quickly. Get your people over here."
"Will Li Yungui agree?"
"If we don’t get it done this year, the factory won’t be built. If we build after the fall harvest, it won’t be sturdy after spending a winter."
"Alright, I’ll first find the blue bricks, and you can discuss it with Li Yungui. I’ll co to your village tomorrow afternoon."
"Okay, then I’ll head back. My wife sent so carrots for your wife; make sure she stir-fries them every day.
She says carrots only have nutrients when fried in oil, and it’s good for the baby."
"Got it. Tomorrow get your wife to make so bread; Xiao Li loves it."
"Alright, I’ll tell my wife when I get back."
Wei Kaiyun rode back on his bike but didn’t go ho. Instead, he went to the construction site.
Li Yungui was organizing everyone to lay the foundation. The stones had already been delivered just in ti, right after the foundation was dug.
"Xiao Wei, how did it go with Old Yang?"
"He’s coming over tomorrow. Village Chief Li, I’m thinking about hiring people to build the factory? If we wait till the new house is finished and winter cos before it’s dry, it won’t be sturdy."
"Hiring people will be too costly in terms of labor."
"Think about it. My suggestion is to hire people, so once the autumn harvest ends, the factory building will be completely finished, leaving a month or more for drying. How great would that be?"
"Alright, I’ll discuss it with them."
Wei Kaiyun rode his bike back ho, while Li Yungui sat on the ground and sighed; everything needed money everywhere.
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