Tian Baozhu had poured the oil from a flask in her space, but the bottle she used was a glass jar that originally belonged to the body’s previous owner, which had been hidden away in a trunk.
Qi Yuegui hadn’t known what Tian Baozhu was up to at first. But when she saw her come back with a jar full of oil, she gasped.
You see, in the village, most households were lucky to get even two liang of oil in a month.
Oil had to be bought in town, and it required ration coupons.
But in the countryside, where could you get so many ration coupons?
At the end of each year, the production brigade would sell their pigs and receive a small amount of oil coupons. After distributing them to each household, a family might get one jin at most.
This jar of oil had to weigh over a jin.
“Educated Youth Tian, why are you bringing so much oil?”
“Take it back, quick! Don’t drop it!”
Qi Yuegui hurried over, blocking Tian Baozhu’s path.
“Aunt Yuegui, with all the things I’ve asked you to help make, you’ve already done so much for me. What’s wrong with me bringing a little oil?
If you think this isn’t right, then let’s tally up the tofu, potatoes, chives, firewood, salt, and everything else, and I’ll pay you for it.
I can’t be so shameless as to have you help me and still have you cover all those supplies.
Don’t worry, Auntie. My aunt works at the department store in the county town—she can get this stuff.”
For the last sentence, Tian Baozhu lowered her voice as she placed the jar in Qi Yuegui’s hands.
Qi Yuegui was taken aback by Tian Baozhu’s words.
Before this, Educated Youth Tian had practically been invisible in the village.
She hadn’t expected her connections to be so strong.
This was oil—who didn’t have a shortage of oil these days?
Then again, it made sense.
Everything Tian Baozhu had brought today was high-quality.
Qi Yuegui’s gaze toward Tian Baozhu grew even warmer and more affectionate.
“With this much oil, I was originally thinking of rendering some fat from this pork belly to cook the other dishes.
Now, it seems we won’t need to.
But this is such a large piece of meat—are you sure we should use all of it?”
Qi Yuegui looked at the big slab of pork with some reluctance. In her own household, she’d cut off no more than a finger’s width, just enough to give her family a taste of meat.
The rest would be salted and preserved, enough to last until the New Year.
“Use it all. Even though the house belongs to the brigade, it’s still a place I can finally call my own.
Since people aren’t really holding banquets these days, I want to make this meal well and let everyone enjoy it.”
Qi Yuegui had asked again because she wanted to help Tian Baozhu save a bit.
Seeing that she was firm, she stopped persuading.
Thanks to Tian Baozhu’s earlier words, the people working today were especially diligent.
They worked up a sweat, toiling away until their stomachs began to growl around noon. Only then did they see the brigade party secretary’s wife and Educated Youth Tian approaching, each carrying two buckets.
“Come down, everyone! Time to eat first. We’ll continue after we’re full.”
The workers quickly set down their tools and gathered around.
They saw that Qi Yuegui was carrying a bucket filled with stewed tofu and fish soup. The broth had been simmered until it turned a milky white.
Her other bucket contained bowls and chopsticks.
In one of Tian Baozhu’s buckets was braised pork belly stewed with potatoes.
The other bucket contained scrambled eggs with chives, and piled on top of the dishes were a good fifty or sixty steamed buns, each bigger than a grown man’s fist.
“Th-this is meat?”
Liu Shengbao had originally thought that letting them have some steamed buns would already be pretty good.
But now, not only was there fish and meat, but eggs as well. And the key thing was, these buns weren’t made from mixed grains; they were clearly made from the finest premium flour.
Not only Liu Shengbao stared blankly, not daring to reach out, but the others were also stunned on the spot.
“What are you all standing around in a daze for?”
“Hurry up and get your bowls to serve the food and grab the buns. If it’s too dry, ladle yourself a bowl of fish soup.”
“This was bought specially by Educated Youth Tian yesterday to thank you all.”
Qi Yuegui said to everyone, then urged them to come forward.
Liu Dazhu was the first to react. When he went to scoop up the braised pork belly with potatoes, his hand was even trembling slightly.
Seeing this, the others rushed forward. Each person took two bowls—one filled with braised pork belly with potatoes and scrambled eggs with chives, the other with a bowl of fish soup.
In their other hand, they each held two buns.
They tore the buns open, stuffed them with meat and eggs, and took a bite. The taste was absolutely wonderful!
After wolfing down one bun, they took a big gulp of fish soup—so fresh!
Earlier, when Uncle Guoquan had called them to come work, there had actually been more people than this.
But some thought that working in such cold weather wasn’t worth it.
Of course, the main reason was that they felt Educated Youth Tian didn’t have much money to offer.
They were afraid that after Uncle Guoquan got them to help, there’d be no pay in the end.
So, several people made excuses, saying they had things to do at home.
Now, as everyone ate their big white buns and savored the rich flavor of meat, if those others found out, they’d probably be green with envy.
“Uncle Dazhu, from now on, whatever Uncle Guoquan asks me to do, I’ll do it without a second thought.”
After downing three buns and polishing off a bowl of fish soup, Liu Shengbao finally let out a long sigh of relief and whispered to Liu Dazhu.
“Good that you know. Don’t follow the example of those others, always trying to slack off and be lazy.
Also, we need to remember Educated Youth Tian’s kindness in our hearts.”
Just now, Qi Yuegui had quietly told Liu Dazhu that aside from what was in the buckets, they’d kept some dishes aside at home. When they finished work in the evening, each person would take some back for the elderly and children at home to have a taste.
Liu Shengbao nodded repeatedly. After finishing their lunch, everyone was as energized as if they’d been injected with adrenaline, working with great enthusiasm.
They had initially thought the roof wouldn’t be finished until tomorrow, but by the time they knocked off in the afternoon, more than half of it was already covered.
It was estimated that with just half a day’s work tomorrow morning, they’d be able to finish everything!
After delivering the food at noon, Tian Baozhu left the remaining half-jar of oil at Party Secretary Liu’s house.
Then she turned and headed toward the educated youth spot.
She had already spent two nights in this house, and she’d given that scumbag only three days.
Counting the day she moved out, today was exactly three days. No issues there.
“Oh, in the middle of a meal?”
Because it was the time of year when everyone was holed up for the winter, the meals at the educated youth spot had become sparse and watery.
Three meals a day had been reduced to two. In the morning, around ten o’clock, they’d have a bowl of rice water with so few grains of rice you could count them.
Then, around three in the afternoon, they’d have slightly thicker coarse rice porridge, with a bit of boiled cabbage—another meal.
When Tian Baozhu arrived, everyone was just eating with great relish!
Hearing her words, Liu Qiuhua instinctively wanted to cover her face.
The others, however, all looked sharply toward Tan Yandong.
After all, the footprint on the wall was still there!
Tan Yandong was eating his coarse rice porridge, picking at the boiled cabbage that had no trace of salt, finding it hard to swallow.
Now, under Tian Baozhu’s half-smiling gaze and the stares of everyone else, his face flushed bright red.