CHAPTER 204: 204 FELL INTO THE RICE JAR

"Hmm, let’s wait until I get there to talk. If you need to leave, do so quickly, or else it will be too late."

Before leaving, Jiang Xinyu handed ten yuan to Wang Jianqiang.

Seeing that this girl was really insistent, he finally just accepted five yuan, giving each person fifty cents.

Jiang Xinyu arrived at the county at nine-thirty in the evening, boiled water to bathe, kneaded dough, and soaked dried goods. She planned to make three-delicacy stuffed buns for the Wang Family tomorrow since they were working for her.

The next day, she also got up early, planted some green onions, and figured she needed some onion seeds; otherwise, there would be no onion flowers next year.

She tidied up inside and outside the house again, organized the woodshed, and was sweating profusely, still feeling weak physically.

She thought that they would arrive at the earliest by one or two o’clock, lit the stove in the bathroom, and cooked porridge in a clay pot after bathing.

The dough had already risen, so she hurriedly prepared the filling. She made two big steamers worth. If they couldn’t finish them, she would let them take the rest home for their families. After all, one couldn’t be stingy.

She started steaming the buns at one o’clock so that even if they arrived late, they wouldn’t be cold.

The Wang Family father and son arrived at two o’clock.

"Uncle, Brother, let’s eat first, and after resting enough, we’ll unload the car."

"Alright." Wang Jianqiang didn’t stand on ceremony. Jiang Xinyu had set up a kang table in the side room because the main room was too hot.

The father and son sat down and watched as Jiang Xinyu brought three large trays of white flour buns with a rich meat flavor; the table held only one dish of mixed kelp. There was nothing else good to bring out.

"Uncle, Brother, eat your fill; there’s plenty. Take the leftovers back to my aunt and sister-in-law." She also served each of them a big bowl of millet porridge.

The three of them ate a tray of buns. According to Wang Jianqiang, they shouldn’t rest, but Jiang Xinyu insisted they had to rest a bit after eating.

It took the three of them half an hour to finish unloading the car. Many neighbors on the street came out to watch, feeling envious as they bought firewood by the truckload.

She poured water for the father and son to let them wash and wipe off the sweat.

"Xinyu, we’re going back. When your Sister Ailing gets engaged, we’ll come over again and bring some green onions; you can plant them in every corner of the yard."

"Alright, take these buns, no need for polite words." Jiang Xinyu stopped Wang Jianqiang from speaking further.

After seeing them off, she swept the yard again. Then she went to bathe; she knew she had a bit of a cleanliness obsession, but it wasn’t a bad thing, so she just kept on with it.

On Monday morning, she felt her arms and legs were a bit sore; she really had the life of a young lady with the fate of a maid.

At noon, she called She Xiaoyun to confirm the Friday night departure. She wondered if there was shrimp paste at the seaside; mixing that with the filling was the freshest.

"Secretary Hou, are you taking the porcelain over this time?"

"Yes, I’ve selected several baskets."

"Alright, I’ll take Wang Ailing to pick some out in the next couple of days, things we need for daily life."

"Sure, come over on Wednesday."

Actually, Jiang Xinyu was using defective items herself, which weren’t actually a problem, and Wang Ailing had been envious before, so this time she would take her along.

Newlyweds certainly wouldn’t be wealthy.

On Tuesday noon, she informed Wang Ailing.

"That’s great, Xinyu. I still need to ride your bike."

"No problem, let’s skip lunch tomorrow and I’ll take you home to get it."

On Wednesday, the two rushed home. There were still three-delicacy buns at home; Wang Ailing ate three and a bowl of malted milk.

The back seats of both their bikes had two baskets tied on. Jiang Xinyu brought five loaves for Hou Wenquan; it wasn’t right to go empty-handed.

Hou Wenquan took them directly to an empty room, "These are the good ones I’ve saved up; someone already picked today’s lot; you two better not get involved."

"Weren’t you planning to take these to the seaside?"

"It’s okay, there’s enough. You two can start picking. Jiang Xinyu, there are some lidded soup bowls here, take them home."

"Alright, I just love those lidded bowls, they can double as oil containers.

Oh, and these are for you, take them home for the kids to try."

"Then I won’t be polite. My two kids have been craving bread for ages."

In the end, Wang Ailing picked twenty plates, and twenty bowls, like a little mouse that fell into a cheese wheel.

Fish plates, soup bowls, large bowls, teacups, teapots.

She took a bit of everything she saw, saving quite a bit of money indeed.

Jiang Xinyu returned a few minutes late, and Wang Ailing went home after delivering them; they didn’t come back together.

On Thursday at noon, Jiang Xinyu rode to the supply and marketing cooperative.

"Director Jiang, hurry, these are all peaches, brought in this morning. You can buy fifty pounds, and with what we gathered, it’s one hundred pounds."

"Thanks, Xiao Xu, I’ll go find a couple of baskets."

"Director Jiang, the comrades over there said that you can visit anytime on Saturday or Sunday if you’d like."

"Okay, I’ll drop by on Sunday." She also inquired about the exact address.

Jiang Xinyu carried two large baskets of peaches home, stored them directly into space, planning to make something next week as time was too tight now.

On Friday, Wang Ailing had to swap shifts. The couple planned to go to the seaside with them, leaving the family behind for the engagement feast; it’s easier to get than meat. So, the bikes were left at the factory, saving the trouble of going back to fetch them.

On Friday night after work, Wang Ailing left with them.

"Xinyu, Ailing, where are you off to?"

"Going home, Kong Mengjie, are you done with work too?"

"Yes, Ailing, did you get a bike too?"

"No, just borrowed it."

The two rode off, "Xinyu, do you think Kong Mengjie has changed a lot?"

"Really? I didn’t notice; we weren’t familiar in childhood, and it’s still the same here."

At Jiang Xinyu’s doorstep, they saw Chen Guoliang. The three of them went inside to eat three-delicacy stuffed buns.

"Xinyu, these buns are really delicious."

"Right? Let’s bring back more dried goods this time, so when we crave them, we can soak some to relieve the craving."

After eating, they rested for a while before setting off.

They still arrived around four o’clock; at this time, watching the sunrise over the sea was breathtakingly beautiful.

Most of what came off the boat were prawn shells; Jiang Xinyu was craving them and still found the uncle from last time.

The group followed him to the village; this time, they didn’t stay at the educated youth hostel. There were five educated youths here, so they stayed at the brigade headquarters.

All the porcelain was traded out, acquiring lots of dry goods; they wanted fresh goods, but they’d be spoiled by the time they got home.

Jiang Xinyu spent a whopping hundred and fifty, filling both baskets on the back of the bike. In the end, there was also a bag of dried shrimp on top.

They inquired about fermented paste and marinated shrimp oil and freed up a basket specifically to buy two large jars of shrimp paste and one jar of marinated shrimp oil.

She Xiaoyun’s couple didn’t buy much, and Wang Tongzhou helped Jiang Xinyu carry a lot. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have made it back.