CHAPTER 112: 112 SUCCEED A LITTLE

"It’s okay, it’s quite exhausting. But really, thank you."

Tan Shaoting shook his head. "No problem, let’s rest a bit longer. It’s still early today."

Yuanyuan shook her head like a rattle. "We should hurry back, I don’t know how my sheep are doing! What if they freeze to death?"

Tan Shaoting didn’t mind much, and after five minutes, they continued on.

Since there was no one on the road, Tan Shaoting walked side by side with Yuanyuan.

"You don’t have a livestock shed at home right now, so the little donkey will stay at my place. I’ll feed it for you every day."

Yuanyuan, feeling weary, said, "Thank you, Mr. Tan. You can come over for meals every day then." So reluctant.

Tan Shaoting’s eyes were full of amusement. How could he not see the girl’s unwillingness?

"Sounds good, I’ll send my family’s grain to your place."

Yuanyuan’s heart wanted to refuse, but being new here, how much grain could she possibly have? "Alright, a month’s rations will do."

"True, in a month, the weather will be warmer. I’ll help you build a livestock shed."

Yuanyuan felt a bit embarrassed; was she using someone and then discarding them? But she really wasn’t used to living with others.

So she said nothing. Let it be.

Tan Shaoting laughed to himself, thinking, I’ll have a way now, and I’ll have a way in a month, too.

The two of them reached home by four in the afternoon. The first thing they did was set up the tin stove. Once Tan Shaoting lit the fire, they began unloading the coal. All the coal was placed in the west room; there was no choice, only three rooms, and no one lived in the west room. It had to be like that.

"Girl, don’t pull that face. When it gets warmer, I’ll help you build a few rooms, and then you can do whatever you like."

Yuanyuan nodded indifferently, thinking that by then, she’d be too busy farming. It sounded easy, but she knew building houses required adobe bricks. She didn’t have a single one.

Let it be. Even though coal isn’t anything precious, bringing it back was tiring. Let it stay in the house.

"You can cook. I’ll do it myself."

Seeing one cart of coal unloaded, Yuanyuan thought she might as well cook.

"Mr. Tan, what would you like to eat?"

"Anything is fine. As long as it’s ready-to-eat, that’s all I need."

Yuanyuan: You say it’s not about the food? Who’d believe that?

"I still have cabbage; we’ll make dumplings. They warm you up."

Yuanyuan noticed Tan Shaoting’s eyes lighting up after she spoke.

Kneading dough, chopping filling — since she’d been to the township alone before, she took out a piece of meat and started chopping aggressively.

By the time Tan Shaoting had cleaned both donkey carts, Yuanyuan was just starting to wrap the dumplings.

"I’m taking the two donkeys back and will be back soon to help you with the fire."

Yuanyuan sat by the tin stove, wrapping dumplings. It was warm here. Money well spent. She nodded, "No hurry."

Helping out was indeed tiring; Yuanyuan felt guilty for a second.

Tan Shaoting led the two donkeys home.

The water boiled, and Yuanyuan busied herself making cornmeal for the sheep.

Back at his place, Tan Shaoting also lit a fire. He hadn’t washed his hands yet. But the girl didn’t ask him to wash, so he came back instead.

The donkey’s fodder had been prepared last year. Once filled and given warm water, he then washed up and tidied himself.

He rushed back to Yuanyuan’s place, seeing her tending to the fire.

"Mr. Tan, you rest for a bit; we can eat soon."

Indeed, the water was nearly boiling; they could cook the dumplings soon.

"Do we have chili oil and garlic?"

Yuanyuan nodded, "Yeah, I’ve already prepared them, you just rest."

Tan Shaoting entered the room, feeling the temperature rising quite quickly.

He saw a table set with bowls and chopsticks, and the more he looked, the more he liked it.

Tan Shaoting settled directly onto the kang (heated brick bed); if the girl cared for him, he should comply.

Sitting on the kang, feeling the warmth, he finally noticed his legs aching.

The dumplings were served, and Tan Shaoting eagerly began eating.

"Delicious, really tasty."

Yuanyuan ate two more today. Even though there was little meat and more cabbage, they were indeed quite tasty.

"Yuanyuan, how do you cook so well?"

"I started cooking at three, probably just because I’ve done it a lot."

This topic wasn’t suitable for now, so Tan Shaoting quickly changed the subject.

"Now you have a donkey cart. You can plant more land in the future."

"I’ll try." Worrying about her frail little body.

"Oh, I have a lot of adobe bricks at home. When there’s time, I’ll help you build a new house."

"A new house?" Yuanyuan shook her head, "This place is good enough. Let’s leave it like this; actually, I want a yard. It’s safer, and with a yard, it wouldn’t be as cold."

Tan Shaoting agreed. His yard did have walls, after all, considering the livestock.

It was because Su Daqiang’s family was too lazy when they came to work here, so they didn’t have enclosing walls.

"Alright, I’ll help you."

Yuanyuan wanted to have the backbone to say no. But she really couldn’t manage it herself.

Tan Shaoting overate again. After finishing the dumpling soup, he wanted to help with some tasks, but Yuanyuan refused. So this time, he didn’t hesitate to lie down on the kang. The temperature had risen, feeling much warmer.

Yuanyuan cleaned up and saw Tan Shaoting asleep. But this wouldn’t do.

However, he worked so hard these past two days for her.

Forget it, she thought, let him rest for a bit longer. She carefully covered him with his coat and added some of her own bedding. This way, when she went to bed, it would still be warm.

Actually, Tan Shaoting wasn’t asleep at all. But he knew he didn’t have an opportunity now. So, after lying for a while, he resignedly got up; otherwise, he might not want to go back.

After seeing Tan Shaoting off, Yuanyuan secured the door, saying, "Thankfully, he left."

The next day, she didn’t get up early. She was simply too tired. But the bedding was cold, so she had to get up.

She poked the stove, bustling around tending to the ewe. Early in the morning, she really didn’t want to cook.

Luckily, Tan Shaoting didn’t show up, and for lunch, it was winter melon mixed with cornmeal bread, pickled vegetables stir-fried with eggs, and a piece of sausage? The pot had sorghum porridge. This way, she could keep the fire going longer.

Tan Shaoting arrived right on time. After a full meal, he went back to feed the little donkey. Here, the livestock couldn’t eat less; otherwise, they couldn’t make it through.

While Yuanyuan was stitching a shoe sole, Tan Shaoting came by.

He didn’t hesitate. He went directly onto the kang. "These kinds of shoes don’t hold up. You need rubber liberation shoes that fit better."

"Well, I’m just passing time now, anyway."