The Siheyuan of the Young Educated Youth

Zhu Li was putting pancakes into the pot, Liu Yumei was helping Zhu Li light the fire, and was chatting with Zhu Li while leaning on the fire stick. When she looked up, she saw Qi Feifei carrying a large bundle of white willow branches in.

Her eyes flashed: "Julie, look."

Zhu Li looked up at her with her hands folded. "What are you looking at?"

Liu Yumei nodded her chin: "There, I'll show you the yard."

Zhu Li stood up straight and turned to look out the window. She saw Qi Feifei hanging willow branches to dry.

"She is quite capable. She didn't even take a break when she first arrived and brought back so many willow branches."

Liu Yumei rolled her eyes: "You said she went to the willow meadow to cut willow branches. Isn't she afraid of snakes?"

Zhu Li: "When she left, she took a sickle with her and said that if she met me, she could just chop me with a knife."

Liu Yumei sighed, turned and went into the house.

Li Danni and Cao Xiaohui were winding the thread in the room. Cao Xiaohui was holding the thread while Li Danni was winding it.

Liu Yumei: "Look, Qi Feifei cut so many willow branches by himself. We finally have someone who is not afraid of snakes."

Liu Danni lowered her head and smiled, but didn't say anything. Cao Xiaohui looked outside, but didn't say anything either.

Liu Yumei curled her lips and said, "She cut so many willow branches, isn't she going to make baskets?"

Cao Xiaohui: "Basket weaving is a craft, and you can sell it for money after you finish weaving it."

Liu Yumei felt so tired.

"Could she be making the basket because she wants to pick mushrooms?"

Cao Xiaohui: "Is it necessary to make a basket just for picking mushrooms?"

Liu Yumei: Why are you all so stupid!

"Do you think she might want to pick mushrooms, dry them and sell them?"

Cao Xiaohui: "Selling mushrooms is pretty good. Although it's tiring and a little dangerous, at least I can earn some money." She could see that her family was in financial difficulty and they didn't even have a piece of laundry soap.

Liu Yumei: "Then she sells the mushrooms she picks for herself, and then eats the vegetables we grow. Isn't that inappropriate?"

Cao Xiaohui: …

Li Danni:…

They didn’t say they wouldn’t give it to everyone to eat!

If you want her to pick mushrooms for everyone to eat, just say so!

Liu Yumei was angry when she saw that no one was talking to her. She turned around and went out to continue making fire.

Qi Feifei didn't know all this. She happily hung up the willow branches, washed her face and hands, and sorted out her clothes. If there were any insects or something, she would deal with them quickly.

The male educated youth naturally saw it as well. They were thick-skinned and came over to talk to them directly.

Pan Xiaowen: "Qi Feifei, why are you cutting so many willow branches?"

Qi Feifei: "Weaving baskets."

Pan Xiaowen gave a thumbs up: "Great, great, you can do this?"

Qi Feifei had to rationalize her strange skills: "Well, I learned it from my grandpa. My grandma's home is in the countryside."

Pan Xiaowen suddenly realized: "It's passed down from my ancestors, no wonder." None of the other educated youth knew how to do it.

Pan Xiaowen: "Why are you weaving baskets? Don't the production team have baskets?"

Qi Feifei: "I want to pick mushrooms. It's not good to use a public basket for private business."

Pan Xiaowen: "Yeah, it's convenient to use it yourself. You're really capable." Pan Xiaowen really admired him. He was thin, had no strength and no skills, and he envied capable people.

Xu Zhiqiang interrupted, "Are you picking mushrooms to eat or sell?" He really wanted to ask if he could give them some.

Qi Feifei raised her eyebrows: "You want to buy mushrooms?"

Xu Zhiqiang smiled awkwardly. It was not that he couldn't buy some, but he couldn't buy some for everyone to eat. He scratched his head.

"That's right, just asking."

Qi Feifei: "I haven't picked up the mushrooms yet, and I haven't thought about this problem yet."

Pan Xiaowen: "Qi Feifei, why aren't you afraid of snakes? Do you have any way to deal with snakes?"

Qi Feifei: "I'm afraid of snakes too. Who doesn't? But there are snakes at my grandmother's place. I'm used to it. When I go up the mountain, I apply some garlic juice, take a stick, and be careful. There is no foolproof method."

Pan Xiaowen was a little disappointed. If there was a way, he would also like to go up the mountain to pick mushrooms and dig wild vegetables in the spring. He was not afraid of hardship, but he valued his life.

Everyone was chatting when Baisha came back from outside.

"You have so many willow branches, are you going to make baskets?"

Just as Qi Feifei was about to speak, Pan Xiaowen spoke first: "Qi Feifei wants to pick mushrooms and said she needs to make a basket first."

Baisha: "You need to make a basket to pick mushrooms. It's a waste of effort. We have ready-made baskets. I thought there would be a lot of vegetables, so I went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy waist baskets. They are enough for you."

He turned around and shouted to the house, "Zhu Li, Zhu Li, is our waist basket still there? Qi Feifei is going to pick mushrooms, please find the basket."

Julie just put all the pancakes into the pot and covered it with a lid.

"Yes, I'll go find it right away."

Liu Yumei nudged Zhu Li, "Go and find the biggest one. I'll watch the fire, you go ahead."

Julie was a little hesitant. If she picked only a few, it would be tiring to carry the big basket all day.

Liu Yumei: "Go ahead."

Julie: “It’s too big.”

Liu Yumei smacked her lips and said, "What if? Take the big one, go quickly!"

Zhu Li went there hesitantly. She actually took the largest basket and handed it to Qi Feifei: "Do you think this is okay?"

Qi Feifei didn't plan to go tomorrow: "Okay, lend me this until I finish weaving my basket."

Liu Yumei followed out with a fire poker and said, "It doesn't matter whether you borrow or not. We are all one family in the educated youth colony. If you pick mushrooms, everyone will borrow from you too." This means they want to eat mushrooms.

Qi Feifei had originally planned to eat with everyone, but after hearing her say that, she felt a little uncomfortable, as if she was being forced, but she still agreed.

"After we pick mushrooms, we must let everyone taste them, and the male educated youth are also included." It is better to take the initiative to do favors for others.

Xu Zhiqiang and Pan Xiaowen were delighted.

"Oh, Qi Feifei, that's great. Thank you in advance on behalf of my brothers."

"All you have to do is pick the mushrooms and we'll fetch water and wash them. You just have to wait and eat them."

Liu Yumei: "Tsk, they've all been picked, who wouldn't be able to do it? You're the ones being singled out!"

Xu Zhiqiang: "You..."

Pan Xiaowen pulled him and dragged him away.

"Qi Feifei, we brothers keep our word."

After they were far away, Pan Xiaowen lowered his voice and said, "Why are you arguing with her? She's a crazy woman. If we start arguing, will Qi Feifei give us the mushrooms or not? Let's ignore her. She didn't pick the mushrooms."

Xu Zhiqiang took a deep breath: "I just can't stand her."

Pan Xiaowen: "Alright, calm down, let's go find Wang Bin and the others."

Early the next morning, Qi Feifei said goodbye to Zhu Li and went up the mountain with a large waist basket and a sickle.

She had already found her way there, so today she went straight over to pick mushrooms. It was foggy, so the mushrooms were bigger and more beautiful.

I haven't picked mushrooms for a long time. I was very happy, cherished them, and was very careful, trying not to damage the mycelium at the roots.

As I was picking, I felt a chill from behind. When I turned around, I saw a snake wrapped around a branch, with its head raised and its tongue spitting out.

Qi Feifei stared at it motionlessly, quietly grabbed the sickle in her hand and held it tightly. Her legs were a little numb from squatting, and she was not very flexible, so it was difficult for her to take the initiative to attack, and sweat dripped down her face unconsciously.

The man and the snake confronted each other for a long time. Perhaps the snake felt that there was no danger and no suitable food on this side, or perhaps there was some small animal over there that attracted it, so it turned around and crawled to the other side along the branch.

Qi Feifei heaved a sigh of relief when he saw it was gone. He stood up and slowly moved his legs and feet. He felt so sore and numb that he held his thighs tightly with his hands. After a while, he slowly moved his legs and feet.

After being frightened, I picked mushrooms much faster and didn't pay attention to being so careful. Some mushrooms were broken.

When the basket is full, hurry down the mountain.

When she came to the willow meadow, she first knocked a branch of willow with a stick. After making sure there were no snakes, she began to cut the branches and cut a bundle of them.

With one hand holding the mushroom basket and the other holding the wicker bundle on his shoulder, his thin shoulder hurt. He gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the pain, but he was actually very tired, with sweat running down his cheeks.

This little body still needs some training.

……