I Became the Favorite of Big Bosses

Chapter 405: Things are changing, and the Gu family is about to make a comeback

 The depressed mood did not last long, You Lan and Ji Fengyao trotted into the kitchen.

I don’t know where the two little guys went. They had mud on their faces and mud **** in their hands.

 “Where did it go? It looks like a little cat.”

Wei Lan curled her green and white fingers and flicked them on their foreheads. She quickly poured hot water and told the two little guys to wash their hands.

You Lan and Ji Fengyao held the mud dumplings in their hands and refused to let go. Wei Lan laughed and scolded: "Why don't you throw it away soon?"

You Lan and Ji Fengyao looked at each other with mysterious smiles.

Throwing the mud dumplings into the basin, You Lan held the mud dumplings in his little hands and swung them back and forth twice. He saw that it was just a dark mass, and gradually it became white and tender.

There was too much mud, and it was difficult to clean it off at once. Seeing that his original appearance was almost revealed, You Lan took the things out of the basin and handed them to Wei Lan like a treasure, "Sister Lan, look!"

 It is a lotus root as big as a palm.

Without saying a word, Ji Fengyao imitated You Lan's actions and washed the lotus roots before handing them to Wei Lan.

 “Have you gone to Xiaogang?”

Wei Lan remembered that they were digging lotus roots in Xiaogang today.

"Well, Brother Jiandang secretly threw this to us. He said it is the tender lotus root at the tip. It tastes sweet and is given to us as snacks." Youlan nodded, remembering something important, and hurriedly turned around and ran to the backyard, "Brother asked I’ll come back and get the flute!”

　　"I'll get the kettle, you two get your own bowls, and each of you has a bowl of **** soup on the small stove."

The baskets in the backyard were hung under the eaves, filled with debris. Worried that Youlan might accidentally hit her, Wei Lan quickly stood up and pushed the two little guys away.

The sundries were temporarily placed on the pile of firewood, and he turned the chopsticks upside down and knocked twice on the wall. Suddenly, dust filled the sky.

Wei Lan quickly covered her nose and ran into the house.

You Lan’s mouth was burned by the **** soup. She grimaced in pain and tears filled her black eyes.

Ji Fengyao sat sideways on the chair, raising his hands helplessly, not knowing how to comfort her.

As soon as Wei Lan came in, You Lan's eyes lit up and she immediately sniffed to hold back her tears, "Sister Lan, one is not enough. Brother said, I need two."

“Then I’ll look for it again.” Wei Lan nodded.



The bamboo strips broke and two pumpkins were broken. Grandma Gu felt distressed for a while.

Wei Lan guessed that Xiaogang needed something to store the lotus roots, so he simply brought out a bucket.

She packed them out just as Ji Fengyao and Youlan finished drinking the **** soup. The two little guys were all warm and their little faces were red and cute.

Wei Lan couldn't help but patted his head one by one, "Wait for me for a while, and we'll go together."

Wei Lan went back to the room, took a scarf and wrapped it tightly around her, and the three of them went to Xiaogang together.

The bamboo flute was very light, and Youlan took the initiative to take it and walk ahead.

Ji Fengyao followed suit and wanted to help Wei Lan carry the bucket, but Wei Lan quickly said no.

Buckets are made of solid wood. Unlike buckets, they are very heavy when not containing anything.

Ji Fengyao was so round that he had to carry such a heavy bucket. If his feet slipped, he would not be able to fall directly to the shore.

 In winter, everything is desolate and gray, and everything is covered with snow.

The leaves on the trees had long since fallen off. Walking to the educated youth spot, Wei Lan saw through the gaps in the branches that the water in the small harbor had almost been drained, and only the depression in the center still had some water.

The people digging lotus roots were scattered in the mud that had been exposed to the surface, and they were all busy with their waists or heads bowed.

Wei Lan couldn't help but shudder.

The mudland is a wetland. If a person stands on it, it will immediately sink. It is no different from being soaked in ice water.

 “Brother! I’ve brought the Ruizi over here!”

As soon as they approached the small harbor, You Lan screamed excitedly and ran towards the shore in the direction of Gu Chao.

There were many people digging lotus roots. Twenty or thirty strong laborers had their lower bodies sunk in the mud, and they were all busy digging lotus roots. If You Lan hadn't run to Gu Chao first, Wei Lan wouldn't have been able to tell the difference for a while. Whoever comes out is Gu Chao.

There is water hidden in the mud, and some small fish and shrimps hide in it.

When Gu Chao used a shovel to shovel mud, he often encountered situations where loaches and eels were shoveled into two pieces.

Although there wasn't much meat, it was still meaty and he remembered that Wei Lan loved river shrimp. When Gu Chao saw You Lan playing nearby and watching the fun, he waved You Lan back to get something.

While digging lotus roots, he could pick them up whenever he saw them.

Not just visiting the court, many people in the brigade did this, and the educated youths who dug lotus roots also had a small bucket next to them.

Small fish and shrimps are not worth much. The real big fish are all in the large pool of water in the middle. After digging out the lotus roots, the team leader will catch the fish physically and then divide them from house to house.

 “Duan…why are you here?”

Gu Chao asked You Lan to throw the porridge over. When he turned around and saw the girl following him from the field, his voice stopped immediately.

Wei Lan has a cold and needs to sweat. She usually wears a small coat, a sweater and a cotton-padded jacket. Today she wore an extra coat over the sweater and a sheepskin jacket over it, which made her look a little bloated.

She wore a skirt on her lower body. Although it was bloated, the calf exposed under the skirt was well-proportioned and slender.

Someone who heard Youlan's voice nearby looked over and saw Wei Lan with a scarf tightly wrapped around his neck.

The red scarf highlighted her skin color, making Wei Lan's exposed half of her face look as bright and moving as the moonlight, and her pair of peach blossom eyes were even more black and smart.

 The group of young men who saw it were so excited that they couldn't help but look at it a few more times.

There was someone who had heard Wei Lan boldly reveal that Gu Chao was her partner at the creek. Now she saw Wei Lan and couldn't help but joke: "Hey, brother Chao, is your partner here? "

"Brother Chao is very lucky. How many people are interested in Wei Zhiqing? Look, you are the only one who can get it!"

 Wei Lan walked to the shore closest to Gu Chao and squatted down. She did not feel embarrassed because of the teasing and inquiring eyes of the people around her.

And these well-intentioned ridicules are not the malicious remarks as imagined.

 Gu Chao felt slightly relieved, inserted the shovel into the mud, twitched his legs that were stuck in the mud, and moved closer to the shore.

The suction force of the mud was very strong. Gu Chao moved slowly. Every time he stepped in, there would be a "sizzling" sound. When his legs were pulled out, small streams of water quickly gathered from all directions, filling the hole he just stepped out with.

 Finally got close to the shore, but it was difficult to get up due to the height.

Gu Chao lay on the shore and looked at Wei Lan with his deep eyes, "Are you still feeling uncomfortable?"

Wei Lan pursed his lips and shook his head. He raised his head and looked at his trouser legs, which were wet in the mud. He couldn't hide his distress, "I've recovered from the cold... How long do you need? It's so cold, my legs are frozen."

"I'm not cold." A smile appeared in Gu Chao's eyes, his eyes gently caressed Wei Lan's face, and his head rubbed against Wei Lan's legs, "Look, I'm sweating."

“So many people are watching!” Wei Lan pursed her lips and ducked away with a smile, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Knowing that this was a group activity and unavoidable, Wei Lan turned around and asked, "We don't have the porridge at home, so we can just bring the bucket, okay?"  "Yeah." Gu Chao took the bucket and the porridge and looked at Wei Lan with a burning gaze. ,"Let's go back."

Wei Lan nodded, "Then I'll go back and cook something delicious for you to eat when you get back."

 “Okay.” Gu Chao nodded.

 “Go home!”

 Wei Lan waved to You Lan and Ji Fengyao to go home together. Gu Chao paused and glanced at You Lan: "Lanya stays to help."

 “How can she help?” Wei Lan paused in confusion.

Is it possible that a girl as young as Youlan wants to dig lotus roots?

Wei Lan’s brows were knotted, and just when she was about to refuse, You Lan raised her head and waved at her: “Sister Lan, go back! I’ll help these brothers!”

Wei Lan didn’t move. Youlan blushed and muttered, “I, I want to play here!”

Ji Fengyao on the sidelines nodded as the chicken pecked at the rice.

Wei Lan smiled with relief, glanced at Gu Chao, and rubbed the heads of You Lan and Ji Fengyao with both hands, "Stand far away, be careful not to fall, you know?"

 The two little guys nodded obediently.

Wei Lan straightened up and waved to Gu Chao, "Then I'm going back?"

 “Yeah.” Gu Chao nodded.

 After Wei Lan disappeared and there were people around him urging him, Gu Chao moved back to his previous position and continued digging lotus roots.

　What happened just now was ridicule, and there were countless people around me who were secretly envious.

Why is Gu Chaoming so good? The object is so beautiful and she is from the city.

They didn’t know anything about the city, let alone who they were dating in the city. They didn’t even dare to think about it, but Gu Chao did it and succeeded.

Who said that the old Gu family collapsed?

 The tide is turning, and after being down for so long, aren’t there signs of getting up again?

 …

 After Wei Lan returned home, she took the basket to the Gu family's private land.

The brigade has been busy these two days, and Wei Lan is sick again. Except for Gu Chao's trip to the county in the dark last night, he has no time to go out to buy supplies these two days.

 The Gu family grows spinach, rapeseed and white radish in their palm-sized private plot.

 These dishes will be eaten in February next spring.

Wei Lan gave up the idea of ​​pulling out the whole plant, picked up a large rapeseed and pinched a circle of leaves, leaving the heart. She then went up the mountain to decorate the leaves with mulch and return it with top dressing, so that it could continue to grow.

 After loading half a basket of vegetable leaves, Wei Lan headed back home.

There was no other food in the house except what was in the basket. Wei Lan searched around and found a heavy bag in the place where the grain was stored in Grandma Gu's room.

 I opened it and saw that there was granular starch inside, which should be sweet potato starch.

Wei Lan said hello to Grandma Gu, then carried the bag of sweet potato flour to the kitchen and started working.

Gu Chao likes spicy food, so Wei Lan thought about it and realized that sweet potato starch can be used to make hot and sour rice noodles.

　　Just do it. Wei Lan brought a big porcelain bowl to mix the paste. When it was done, the paste was filled and the water in the pot was boiled. When it was time to put the pot in, Wei Lan realized that there was no colander at home.

"This is really..." Wei Lan stood by the stove, watching the water in the pot boiling and bubbling, so she could only remove some of the firewood from the stove first.

 Gu Chao had cut bamboo before, and there were a lot of bamboo tubes piled up in the corner of the backyard. Wei Lan had an idea and wanted to try drilling holes in the bamboo tubes, but she couldn't find the set of tools that Gu Chao usually used.

 After tossing and tossing, Wei Lan had to give up the plan of making vermicelli.

Still making cold skin as before, spread the batter on the plate, steam it, then take it out and let it sit until Gu Chao comes back, then put it in the pot and cook it while seasoning.

 After working continuously for nearly three hours, the steamed rice noodles filled more than half a basin.

 If you can’t finish it, you can soak it in a basin. It can be stored for about a week in cold weather.

If the sun is good, cut it into strips and put it out to dry, which will keep it longer.

Wei Lan added two ladles of water to the basin, soaked the powder, wiped the sweat from his forehead and went back to the room.

Although it was hot, she did not dare to take off her clothes for fear of aggravating the cold.

 I had a fever most of the night last night and it was really uncomfortable.

Today is the 25th of the twelfth lunar month, and Lin Qing and Fan Zhu are getting married on the 28th. Most of the clothes they promised have not yet been made, and they have to be delivered by the 27th at the latest.

Wei Lan sat by the window to relax for a while, took out some unfinished clothes from the cupboard, and tied her hair into a low ponytail to avoid getting in the way. Then she sat down in front of the sewing machine, lowered her head and got busy.

At the end of the year, every household is busy. The strong laborers in the brigade are called to go to the small harbor to dig lotus roots and catch fish, while the young wives stand near the houses of acquaintances and shout, hello, and go to the town to buy new year's goods together.

The east family calls the west family, and the west family calls the south family. When everyone is almost called, they all go to the captain's house.

The policy has been relaxed and no letter of introduction is required to go to the town, but everyone is deeply ingrained and feels that it is better to tell the captain.

The gray and backward small village rarely becomes lively.

Toward evening, You Lan ran back and said that lots were being drawn in Xiaogang, and Gu Chao called her over.

 “Draw lots? What kind of lot will be drawn?”

You Lan raised her head and answered, with a serious and joyful look on her little face: "A fish smoker! There were none in previous years. The captain said that my brother worked hard to dig lotus roots, so this year we can share the fish with each other!"

If calculated based on work points, the Gu family still cannot divide the fish. However, various new policies have been implemented this year. If there are no work points, you can use money to make up for it.

It was Wei Lan's first time celebrating the New Year at Gu's house. Gu Chao wanted to be more lively, and he also wanted the food at home to be richer and more festive, so he discussed it with Gu Sande in private and used money to make up for it.

Wei Lan’s dark and delicate eyebrows were slightly raised, and she felt a little clear in her heart.

 But I was still very curious about the so-called drawing of lots to divide the fish, so I couldn't help but walk faster.

There was a lot of noise in the little harbor. Lotus root diggers came to see it at noon. Only the lower body was stuck in the mud, and the upper body was still clean.

Looking at it now, each of them has turned into a solid mud monkey. They don’t know what cold means. They are rolling and tumbling in the shallow water in the middle.

On the other side of Shibanqiao, Gu Sande shouted loudly, "Those who have work points left over can use their work points to offset their work points. If you don't have any work points and want to eat fish, use your money to offset your points!"

The lotus roots in the surrounding areas of Xiaogang have almost been dug. Now we are fishing for fish. After the fish are caught, we can continue to dig trenches to draw out the water in the middle area before we can continue to dig lotus roots.

 The fish caught earlier have been brought up, and they are arranged according to size at the stone bridge.

 The strong laborers are all busy, and the people around are mostly elderly people, women and children.

 At this time, everyone was looking at them one by one with their heads raised.

Those whose families have a large population base and a lot of strong laborers secretly calculate how many work points they have left this year and how many fish they can share.

Those who have a small labor force at home are greedy when they see a big, fat, and lively silver carp or snakehead fish. However, because they have no work points and no money to make up for the points, they can only secretly say that it is a pity.

 (End of this chapter)