The Siheyuan of the Young Educated Youth

"Brother Sheng, what are you looking at?" Jiang Wanying followed Huo Sheng's gaze. What was there to see in the department store?

Huo Sheng: "Nothing, I was just thinking, it's not easy to buy anything."

Jiang Wanying: "Brother Huo, what do you want to buy? I'll work with you to find a solution."

Huo Sheng: "No, I'm just expressing my feelings."

Jiang Wanying: "Brother Huo, you just moved into your house, you haven't cleaned it up yet, right? I have nothing to do on Sunday, I'll help you clean it up."

Huo Sheng: "I live alone, so I don't need to clean up. It's already been done."

Jiang Wanying: "I always trouble you, so it's only natural for me to help you with some work. You don't have to be polite to me."

Huo Sheng: "Look, the car should be fine, try it."

Jiang Wanying tried the bicycle and found that there was indeed no problem with it. She couldn't find any fault with it.

"Thank you, Brother Huo. Can I treat you to a meal? To show my gratitude."

Huo Sheng: "Don't be so polite, I have something else to do, so I'll leave first."

Without waiting for Jiang Wanying to say anything, he just walked away as if he was being chased by a ghost.

Jiang Wanying stomped her feet in anger.

What's wrong with me? I have good looks, a good job, and a good family background.

This man is like a piece of wood.

Huo Sheng is still thinking about his snake!

But it’s so difficult for him to get something to eat!

Before he even entered his alley, someone blocked his way.

"Brother Huo, my mother asked me to invite you to my house for dinner."

Yan Ling looked at Huo Sheng tenderly, as if she wanted to stick him back with her eyes.

Huo Sheng: "Not today, let's do it another day, I have something else to do."

Yan Ling: "Brother Huo, no matter how busy you are, you have to eat. Man is made of iron and rice is made of steel. How can your body bear it if you don't eat? Come with me to eat, and then get busy."

As he said that, he pulled Huo Sheng's arm.

Huo Sheng didn't dare to shake her off.

"Don't be like this, I really have something to do." What a mess it is to be pulling and tugging on the street.

But Yan Ling just wouldn't let go.

"At this time, you don't have to go out. What's the big deal? I won't let you leave without eating."

His hand slid down his arm and into Huo Sheng's hand.

Huo Sheng instantly got goosebumps all over his body and instinctively shook it off.

He was so strong that Yan Ling staggered. She was stunned for a moment, and tears instantly filled her eyes.

"Brother Huo, I, I, you..."

Tears fell down.

Huo Sheng was a little annoyed.

Yan Ling looked at him pitifully, her eyes full of kindness and reluctance, and took a step forward.

"I'm just worried that you'll starve to death, and there's no one around you who cares about you. Will you come home with me?"

Huo Sheng felt as if there was a breath stuck in his chest, unable to spit it out or swallow it down.

After holding it in for a long time, she said, "I know you mean well, but I have something urgent to do today. Let's do it another day. Go back quickly. Auntie is still waiting."

After saying that, he turned around and walked away.

Yan Ling's face gradually darkened.

Huo Sheng returned home, locked the front door and the room door, jumped in through the back window, and washed himself from head to toe.

Only then did he calmly begin to cook the snake soup and blanch the hazel mushrooms. He was often not at home and had no time to watch them dry in the sun. After blanching, he pickled them in salt water. Although it consumed more salt, the mushrooms were more tender and smoother, and it was also easier. When eating, he just had to wash them.

As Huo Sheng was burning a fire, he couldn't help but recall the inquiring look in the little girl's eyes when she asked him if she wanted a snake.

She has a thin little face, but her eyes are exceptionally bright, clear and lively.

The first time I saw him, he was like a drowned rat, holding the corner of a sack in his hand, his eyes wide open, full of inquiry and curiosity.

The second time she saw him, she obviously recognized him, with surprise in her eyes, but she quickly turned away and walked away as if nothing had happened.

What an interesting little girl.

Qi Feifei started cutting pig food on the way back. He cut about 80 kilograms in one breath before stopping.

I sent over forty kilograms first.

Uncle Zheng smiled as soon as he saw Qi Feifei.

"Why did you come so late today? Were you tired yesterday? Just cut 40 kilograms, everyone else cut 40 kilograms, don't work too hard."

Qi Feifei: "I'm not afraid of the hard work. Cut more pig food so that I can get more meat later."

Uncle Zheng: "You are too strong-willed, kid.

I have dried some vegetables, and the rest are for the two of us to eat. You can pick them all. If you can’t eat them, dry them and save them for the winter.”

Qi Feifei was very happy, "Uncle, I won't be polite then."

Uncle Zheng: “Pick it yourself.”

Qi Feifei's hands are extremely fast.

The ones with seeds at the bottom and the tender ones on the top were left to Uncle Zheng and Lao Qin, and the rest were like locusts passing through.

Soon the backpack and waist basket were pointed.

Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, beans, squash, celery, spinach...

Qi Feifei: "Uncle Zheng, are the fish and shrimp from yesterday okay with you?"

Uncle Zheng: "Yes, it's delicious." He lowered his voice and said, "We drank a little wine last night."

Qi Feifei pursed her lips and smiled: "Uncle Zheng, if you like to eat, I will catch some fish in a few days and send it to you. I guarantee that I can provide you with it."

Uncle Zheng: "You are really capable, girl. Many grown men can't do that."

Qi Feifei: "Uncle! I'm going to work. Can I borrow your basket?"

He ran out carrying two empty baskets.

Uncle Zheng smiled and shook his head, then turned around and said to Lao Qin: "Look, this girl is still embarrassed!"

Lao Qin smiled and nodded as he ate the pig food pot.

Qi Feifei ran into the woods and entered the kitchen of the courtyard.

Tofu is a good thing. The brigade starts making tofu when it is time to harvest and thresh in autumn.

It tends to become sour when it’s hot. There aren’t many beans, so tofu is only made in winter when it’s cold and there aren’t many green leafy vegetables.

Qi Feifei gently broke the flat piece on the cicada's tail and pulled it. The flat piece came out with an intestine. He opened the head and found a yellow egg inside. He put the yellow egg in a bowl.

After processing about one pound of crayfish, cut them into pieces with a knife, and then put them into a stone mill and grind them into pieces.

Then collect them all and filter out the shells with a filter cloth. Keep the juice below.

Put water in the pot, cut half a block of tofu into small pieces and put them in the pot.

When the pot is slightly boiling, pour the crayfish juice into the pot and sprinkle with salt.

The pot slowly boils, and you can use a spatula to gently push along the bottom of the pot, and the cooked crayfish juice will clump. When all the crayfish juice has clumps and the water is fully boiled, sprinkle some chopped green onions. Remove from the pot.

It has the fragrance of onions, the sweetness of crickets, and the rich aroma of tofu, and the tofu is a little bit sweet.

The long-lost taste of tofu.

In my previous life, for many years, tofu did not have this strong tofu fragrance and sweetness.

Qi Feifei finished the small bowl of soup with the steamed bread.

Incomparable satisfaction.

By the way, my impression of Huo Sheng also improved a little.

He looks cold and sharp, but he is quite particular about what he does. Not bad.

Qi Feifei was very busy all day, and she became the "news headline" under the big willow tree again.

"Qi Feifei picked a lot of mushrooms for two consecutive days. The collective yard was full of mushrooms."

"The day before yesterday, they went to the supply and marketing cooperative. They only went out in the afternoon and picked a basket of mushrooms. The collective households said so themselves."

"This young educated youth is cutting vegetables for pigs and picking mushrooms at the same time?"

"Old man Zheng came back today to give his grandson some river shrimps. He said with his own mouth that he cut 80 kilograms of pig food every day. Is that true?"

"Is it because he has eight arms?"

"Eight arms are a crab, three arms are more like that!"

"Don't talk nonsense, did you see it?"

"Otherwise, how did she get it? Others can pick 20 kilograms a day and that's considered good, but she can pick a whole basket in a short time? Who would believe that? I don't believe it."

"That's true!"

……