The helpers all received their wages and red envelopes, and could also take a big bowl of food back home. Their impression of Li Huan instantly improved. A second-rate rogue who used to steal the land turned into a steady and generous good man.
A group of old ladies also gathered around Aunt Wang and tried to get close to her, not for any other reason but because Aunt Wang was the one serving the meals today and that spoon could mean the difference between eating one more bite or one less.
Aunt Wang has been living a very comfortable life these days, especially today. She stood up straight and held her head high, with pride in her eyes. She used a big spoon in her hands to do many things. For those who had a good relationship with her, she obviously had more meat and less vegetables.
Zhang Yuefang took a look at her lunch box. There were seven or eight pieces of thickly sliced meat, leeks and eggs on the multi-grain rice, filling up her lunch box.
"Thank you, Aunt Wang. You are such a good aunt."
Zhang Yuefang gave out the good-guy card for free, which made Aunt Wang very happy. When she saw Zhang Yuefang pushing Han Chunmei up, she also gave her a big spoonful of food with more meat and less vegetables.
Xiaoqin and Xiaoping felt a little embarrassed. They had gone up the mountain to collect firewood these days and didn't help much, but Zhang Yuefang pushed them up anyway.
Aunt Wang looks rough, but she is actually a smart person. The two little girls have contributed five dollars to Cheng Qiao's meal, so how can she treat them badly with just a bowl of rice
Xu Laidi also lined up behind with her lunch box. All the educated youth members at the site, including Chai Jianmin, had gone to eat. How could she leave the organization
"Aunt Wang, give me some more meat."
"Xu Laidi, you are not qualified to eat here."
When Aunt Wang saw Xu Laidi, her eyes couldn't help but shrink. After all, she had secretly picked up ten dollars from someone else, and she still felt a little guilty.
“Why am I not qualified?”
"Have you ever been here to do any work?"
"They didn't work either."
Xu Laidi was so angry that she almost died. The ten kilograms of cornmeal that Chen Dazhu gave her was almost gone, and she didn't know where to get food.
"They both gave five dollars as their share. Did you give them?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone gasped. My God, for a five-dollar share, most of them were prepared to give twenty or fifty cents, and only a few were prepared to give one dollar. With five dollars, how could they compare
"It turns out that this pair of sisters are also rich people. Do you want to..."
Dalang's mother grabbed her son and asked in a low voice.
Dalang also looked towards Xiaoqin and Xiaoping. Well, although they were not as fair-skinned and beautiful as Cheng Zhiqing, they were much prettier than the young girls and wives in the village.
"Mom, which one do you think I should choose?"
"Of course I'll choose the smaller one. Generally, people in the city like the smallest one, so they can give more dowry when the time comes."
"Well, I'll find a chance to go over and take a look later."
Qian Longkun glanced around quietly, and saw pairs of calculating eyes. He felt something was wrong. Cheng Qiao could still handle it because she had Erliuzi, a man with a bad reputation, protecting her.
But the Xiaoqin sisters are in danger. They can be plotted against at any minute. For example, someone might push you deliberately, hug you, and then let some gossiping old women spit at you. You will be skinned alive if you don't die.
He and Zhao Xiaobao looked at each other and decided to escort Xiaoqin and Xiaoping back: "It seems that you two have been targeted. Don't be alone in the future. It's best to have a familiar male comrade with you."
"It's all Aunt Wang's fault. Why is she making such a fuss?"
"You can't blame her entirely. She was just criticizing Xu Laidi."
"Yes, Xu Laidi is the most annoying. How dare he come here to beg for food?"
"You said she was begging for food. How can a beggar have shame? Otherwise, how can she get food?"
"Aunt Wang, you can't talk nonsense. The five yuan was contributed by the eight of them. Qian Longkun, Zhao Xiaobao, and the three male educated youths who are a little bit older contributed two yuan and a half, and the five female educated youths contributed two yuan and a half."
When Cheng Qiao saw the expressions of the villagers around her, she knew everything. She didn't want to ruin the future of the two little girls because of Aunt Wang's words, so she jumped out and explained loudly.
Everyone counted on their fingers, two dollars and fifty cents for five people. My god, each person only contributed fifty cents, and they were educated youth from the city, so that was all they could afford.
Aunt Wang looked at Xiaoqin and Xiaoping's lunch boxes and felt that she had put too much meat in her spoon. Even Dalang's mother looked at the five female educated youth with contempt.
"Da Lang, forget it. They are all from the city, very delicate, with no money in their pockets, and can't carry a load of food on their shoulders. What's the point of having such a woman? To be worshipped as an ancestor."
Dalang agreed with this deeply. He wanted to marry a wife who could carry heavy things, work in the fields, cook, give birth to children and be obedient, not a simple one.
Xiaoqin felt that no one around was paying attention to them anymore. She patted her chest with lingering fear. It was so scary! The villagers here were so terrible.
But she never expected that the crisis that had been resolved would come back to her again because of her seemingly cute action.
The group returned to the educated youth point, and Cheng Qiao secretly returned the money given by Xiaoqin and the others, and really only took fifty cents.
Xiaoqin and the others felt a little embarrassed. How could they take back the things they had given away? But Han Chunmei nodded. She thought Cheng Qiao was right and if she felt too embarrassed, she would just add some to the dowry.
"Let me cook for you today. I'm getting married tomorrow and I won't have the chance to cook for you anymore."
Cheng Qiao stood up with a smile, opened her cupboard, and took out rice and oil, as well as a piece of pork weighing about one pound and half a pheasant.
Xiaofang walked over in surprise, and when she saw the cupboard full of food, her eyes lit up: "Cheng Qiao, these are Er, no, these are given to you by Li Huan."
"Yes, but I'm going to take it back as a dowry tomorrow."
"It should be. Otherwise, why put it here? Is it to make it cheaper for some people?"
As soon as Xu Laidi walked into the dormitory, he heard Xiaofang's words and glanced into Cheng Qiao's locker. Just this one glance made him so angry that he wanted to beat Cheng Qiao up.
I worked so hard for ten months and only got two cents. Cheng Qiao had so many food and drinks in her cupboard, but she still wanted to take my hard-earned money from me. It's so unfair.
She really wanted to vent a few words, but unfortunately no one paid attention to her. Han Chunmei was busy finishing Cheng Qiao's wedding dress, Xiaofang, Xiaoqin and Xiaoping were busy washing and cutting vegetables and boiling water.
Even Qian Longkun and Jiang Guangrong took Zhao Xiaobao to the foot of the mountain to chop firewood. After the autumn harvest, the weather became noticeably colder, and they also had to prepare firewood for the winter.
The clinking sound of cutting vegetables and the cheerful laughter of several little girls came from the kitchen, forcing Chai Jianmin and Xu Laidie, who were staying in the dormitory, to leave the educated youth center as they really could not stay there any longer.