When Zhou Yuwei walked into the room, she found Zhou Yulan sitting blankly at the desk, gently rubbing a tiny object in her hand.
It looked like a small button.
“Sis.”
Zhou Yulan turned around and frowned.
“What happened to your hair?”
She motioned for Zhou Yuwei to sit down, then carefully smoothed her messy hair.
“There. A young lady should always look neat and tidy.”
She dusted off Zhou Yuwei’s clothes as well.
For a moment, Zhou Yuwei was dazed.
Sometimes she couldn’t even tell who she really was anymore. She possessed memories from both lives.
The childhood memories of the two sisters growing up together were vivid and clear in her mind.
Leaning against her sister’s shoulder, Zhou Yuwei said softly, “Sis, can I ask you a favor?”
“What kind of favor?”
Zhou Yulan looked surprised. She couldn’t imagine there was anything she could help this capable little sister with.
“I want to go to the countryside and buy eggs.”
“Buy eggs? What for?”
“A bakery needs tens of thousands of eggs. I took the job. I’ll collect eggs from the villages, then sell them to the bakery and earn the price difference.”
“What?”
“The bakery?”
“You’re doing business with a bakery?”
She could hardly believe it.
“The deputy factory director is Liu Changyun’s uncle. The truck transporting their eggs got into an accident, and all the eggs were smashed. It just so happens this is a perfect opportunity.”
Even now, Zhou Yulan still found it difficult to believe that her little sister was actually going into business.
“How do you think we should deal with the villagers? I can’t exactly go knocking on every door asking, ‘Auntie, do you have any eggs to sell?’ That would waste too much time.”
They only had three days, so naturally they needed to buy as many eggs as possible.
“You should find the village chief,” Zhou Yulan thought for a moment before answering. “In a village, the chief knows everything that’s going on.”
“You’re right!”
Zhou Yuwei immediately rushed toward the door.
“Yuwei, where are you going?” Lin Hongmei asked as she came out carrying a bowl of noodles.
“Mom, I’m going to talk to Liu Changyun and the others. I’ll be right back.”
Taking the chopsticks, Zhou Yuwei hurriedly wolfed down a few mouthfuls before running toward the front courtyard.
“This child… always in such a hurry. Since when did she become so close with Changyun and the others?” Lin Hongmei muttered.
“Yulan, do you want another bowl of noodles?” she asked.
“No. Save them for Yuwei later.”
The little bit of white flour they had left had been traded for by Zhou Kun to help Yulan recover after coming back from the countryside. She had become frighteningly thin during those years.
After cooking it a few times, this was all that remained.
Since Yuwei had either been running a fever or getting injured these past two days, Lin Hongmei had made her a bowl.
Yuwei had wanted noodles several times before, but now that she’d finally made them, the girl had only eaten a few bites.
“Then I’ll fry an egg for her as a midnight snack later.”
Zhou Yulan wasn’t paying much attention.
Her mind was still occupied by what Yuwei had just told her about buying eggs in the countryside.
When Zhou Yuwei arrived at Liu Changyun’s house, she found him kneeling in the middle of the living room with the broom Liu Aihua had used to beat him earlier held high above his head.
“Kneel properly. If your arms drop, you’ll kneel for another two hours,” Liu Aihua said while eating dinner.
Zhou Yuwei quietly withdrew the foot she’d just stepped inside with and turned around to find Xu Zitao instead.
“Grandma Xu.”
“Yuwei, are you looking for Zitao?”
“Yes, Grandma Xu. Is Zitao home? I wanted to borrow a few books from him.”
“He is. He’s eating right now. By the way, have you eaten? Why don’t you join him?”
Grandma Xu was delighted to see Zhou Yuwei.
The girl was beautiful. Though she was usually quiet and timid, her lovely face naturally made people fond of her.
“No, thank you, Grandma Xu. I’ve already eaten.”
Zhou Yuwei hurriedly declined.
“You came?”
Xu Zitao looked up while eating a fried egg.
“Have you eaten?”
“Yeah. I just came because I need to talk to you.”
Xu Zitao immediately understood what she meant and began stuffing food into his mouth even faster.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yuwei silently decided that in the future, she absolutely had to avoid visiting people during mealtime.
It was just too awkward.
Grandma Xu, however, scooped a bowl of rice and stuffed it into her hands.
“Don’t be so polite with Grandma Xu. It’s rare that you come over to play with Zitao. Besides, I have plenty of food here. There are so many dishes that Zitao can’t finish them all.”
She was telling the truth.
Although only Grandma Xu and her grandson remained in the family home to look after the house, the rest of the Xu family either served in the military or held leadership positions elsewhere.
Grandma Xu herself had once been a teacher and received a government allowance. On top of that, the Xu family’s children regularly mailed money and supplies home every month.
Among all the families in the courtyard compound, theirs was one of the few that never worried about food or clothing.
“Look how skinny you are. Eat more.”
Grandma Xu placed a piece of fish into Zhou Yuwei’s bowl, followed by an egg.
“Um… I really…”
“Hurry up and eat. When an elder gives you something, you don’t refuse.”
“Just eat,” Xu Zitao urged. “Grandma cooked way too much again. I can’t finish it all myself.”
“Don’t be shy. Changyun and the others come here to eat all the time. They’ll probably be here any minute, and then we can all chat.”
Before he even finished speaking, Liu Changyun came running in.
“Grandma Xu! I’m starving! Is there anything to eat?”
“Of course there is! Yuwei’s inside eating too. Hurry in and join her.”
Grandma Xu smiled until her eyes curved into crescents.
Liu Changyun walked inside and grinned at Zhou Yuwei.
“Grandma Xu’s cooking is the best. I love her food.”
Ever since Zhou Yuwei had helped them in the fight today, she had officially become one of the gang.
“If you like it that much, come every day. Grandma loves having a lively house.”
She genuinely meant it.
People grew fond of a bustling home as they got older.
“Eat already. Why are you just sitting there holding your bowl?”
Liu Changyun lightly kicked Zhou Yuwei’s foot.
Zhou Yuwei glanced at him.
“So… you don’t have to keep kneeling with the broom anymore?”
“Hehe.”
“I saw you come over, so I asked my dad for leave to come eat. I’ll go back and finish kneeling afterward. Half an hour, then another two hours.”
He shoveled another huge mouthful into his mouth.
“It feels so good to finally have food in my stomach.”
“And Uncle Liu actually let you come?” Xu Zitao asked.
“I’ll just kneel another two hours after I get back.”
Liu Changyun sighed dramatically.
“Seriously, I think the old man has some obsession with watching me kneel. Every time I screw up, it’s the same routine. First I get beaten with the broom, then I have to kneel to Heaven, kneel to Earth, and kneel to my ancestors.”
“I’m telling you, he’s been using the exact same punishment for eighteen years.”
Xu Zitao and Zhou Yuwei both burst out laughing.
“Then you’re pretty dumb,” Zhou Yuwei said between bites of rice. “You know the routine already. Why don’t you put something under your knees first?”
She took another mouthful of rice.
She hadn’t noticed before.
But now she realized…
Plain white rice really wasn’t all that delicious.
After getting used to the fluffy rice cooked in an electric rice cooker in her previous life, rice steamed in a pot just couldn’t compare.
Still, this was the best meal she’d had since arriving here.
Real white rice—not rice mixed with coarse grains.
Silently, Zhou Yuwei made herself another promise.
She had to make money.
Otherwise, with her picky stomach, she’d probably end up hungry every day.
“You think I never thought of that?” Liu Changyun said indignantly.
“My dad always hits the exact same spots. But this evening there wasn’t even time to prepare. I got so excited after hearing about this money-making opportunity.”
Thinking about earning money was enough to get anyone excited.
“Oh, right.”
“You two go let Cao Bingkun know.”
“We’re setting out at dawn tomorrow—right when the rooster crows.”
“We’re going to collect eggs.”
After finishing the food in her bowl, Zhou Yuwei stood up with it, intending to wash it.
“Leave it.”
“A young lady shouldn’t be doing chores like that. If your hands become rough, it won’t be good.”
Grandma Xu stopped her.
“It’s fine, Grandma Xu. I’m used to doing this.”
People in this era really couldn’t afford to be that particular.
“You child.”
“Don’t be so formal with Grandma Xu. We’re all neighbors. Come over and play with Zitao whenever you have time.”
She had watched every one of these children grow up, so she loved them all.
“Absolutely, Grandma.”
Liu Changyun walked over carrying his own bowl and chopsticks.
“We’re the Courtyard Compound’s Iron Four from now on. None of us are outsiders anymore.”
“This is my little si—”
He stopped midway after seeing Zhou Yuwei casually crack her knuckles.
“I mean… my big sister.”
“We’ll definitely have her back from now on.”
“That’s right,” Grandma Xu said with a smile.
“Yuwei was born eight days before you, so she really is your older sister.”
Liu Changyun was the youngest of the group—and easily the most mischievous.