Bai Shuhua had a firewood stick in her hand. If it really came down to a fight, she was also capable of putting up a fight, and Bai Little Aunt still had to cook, so she would not be watching them all the time. That was also why she dared to bring her younger brother home.
However, there were still some things that needed to be said, “If Little Aunt still hits people later, run to find Father and report it. Don’t stand there stupidly and take the beating.”
Little Brother Bai nodded hard, showing that he had memorized it.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly. Bai Little Aunt was clattering away cooking in the room and did not see the two of them enter the yard.
Bai Shuhua opened the pot lid, mashed the eggplant and potatoes into a paste, then mixed in some fermented bean paste, then added some scallion shreds. The scallion shreds were just torn apart with her hands, that was just how rough and unrestrained it was.
As for the beans, she cut them into sections and added soy sauce, salt, vinegar, and minced garlic.
“Good, the rice is still hot.”
Why did Bai Shuhua want the rice hot? It was not because she was afraid Bai Dad would eat cold rice.
It was to add nutrition for Bai Dad, by putting a little lard into the rice, lard-mixed rice.
After all, it was all steamed dishes, with no oil.
Once everything was ready, Bai Shuhua called Little Brother over, “We’ll eat after we get back. Are you hungry?”
Little Brother Bai was eating a sugar lump and shook his head.
“Let’s go.”
Because they still had to carry the thermos, although the things were not many and not heavy, they were all afraid of breaking or getting bumped, so they walked very slowly.
Fortunately, Bai Shuhua had thought of this long ago, which was why she had cooked ahead of time. That way, it was fine even if they delivered the food a little slowly.
But luckily, they met an older girl halfway. She was probably some kind of distant relative, the kind they all called Sister Xiaojuan.
With her helping carry the thermos, they moved much faster.
When they were almost at the field, Sister Xiaojuan handed the thermos back, “You two go slowly. I’m going to the west side, we’re not going to the same place.”
Bai Shuhua thanked her sincerely, “Thank you, Sister Xiaojuan.”
“Sister, Sister, Sister Xiaojuan is hooking up with someone.” Little Brother Bai said mysteriously.
Bai Shuhua asked with a smile, “Do you know what hooking up means?”
“It wasn’t me who said it, it was Er Gousheng who said it, and he also said… um… crawling into the firewood pile.” Little Brother Bai had a really good memory.
Bai Shuhua only had both hands full of things. Otherwise, she would have gone to cover his mouth. Some things really could not be said carelessly.
In this era, things were still very conservative. Once something like this spread, whether true or false, Sister Xiaojuan would be in trouble.
How could she be so careless?
She was more inclined to believe it was true. Those children were mischievous, they often crawled into firewood piles and the like, maybe they had actually seen it.
If you were to ask which two groups in the whole production team were the most well-informed, one was the group that liked to gossip, and the other was these children.
“Little Brother, don’t tell anyone about this.”
Little Brother Bai was small, but very good at reading expressions. He immediately nodded in agreement, “I won’t say.”
Bai Shuhua could not help but look back at Sister Xiaojuan, and saw that she had stopped and was talking to someone. That person looked a little familiar…
She gave that person something.
The distance was a little far, and because she moved quickly, Bai Shuhua did not see clearly.
“Little Brother, slow down.”
Bai Shuhua wanted to get a closer look at that man.
She had a feeling, this was Sister Xiaojuan’s man.
The man had long legs and walked very fast. Bai Shuhua heard footsteps, and casually looked back.
She saw the man’s face and almost sucked in a sharp breath.
This was a male sent-down youth.
It was not that she had any prejudice against sent-down youths, but as far as she knew, this man already had a partner, and it was also a female sent-down youth.
Actually, the sent-down youths and the team members in Qianhu Production Team did not mix much. That was because the brigade leader had long-term vision and built the sent-down youth quarters outside the village, by the farmland.
Besides going to work, the team members and the sent-down youths usually did not interfere with each other.
Maybe because distance lends enchantment and closeness breeds contempt, the relationship between the two sides was still not bad.
But after all, sent-down youths came from the big city, so they still attracted quite a bit of attention.
So the “romantic gossip” about them spread very quickly.
She had heard a few bits of it while listening to her mother tell stories under the big willow tree.
Because she was not familiar with them, she had not really taken it to heart. Now she remembered it all at once.
Sister Xiaojuan was so muddle-headed!
Bai Shuhua had no choice but to warn Little Brother once again, telling him not to say it outside.
Little Brother Bai puffed out his little mouth. Maybe he felt that his sister did not believe him, so he said, “A lot of people know.”
Bai Shuhua could not help sighing. Sister Xiaojuan was really asking for trouble.
How much could children think about? Before long, this bomb might explode.
Worried, Bai Shuhua did not show much of a smile even when Bai Dad praised her.
Little Brother Bai started chattering complaints, “Little Aunt is lazy, she doesn’t want to work, so she called my sister over. My sister didn’t want to, so she wanted to hit people.”
Bai Dad misunderstood, thinking his daughter had been hit by her little aunt and felt wronged, which was why she was unhappy. “Daughter, when we get home, Father will deal with her.”
Bai Shuhua nodded perfunctorily. At this point, her thoughts were no longer on the annoying Bai Little Aunt.
“Father, Little Brother and I are going back. You eat slowly. There’s wild chrysanthemum water in the thermos, it’s good for your health. Drink more this afternoon, but be sure to put the thermos away properly, don’t bump it.”
After finishing her instructions, Bai Shuhua took Little Brother Bai and went home.
Halfway back, they ran into Bai Little Aunt carrying a basket and delivering food.
The two of them hurriedly ran farther away. After all, without the firewood stick in hand, the difference in fighting strength between the two sides was a bit too great.
Bai Little Aunt glared and snorted, but did not chase after them.
“Huff…” Little Brother Bai let out an exaggerated breath. “Sister, once I get a bit bigger, we won’t be afraid of Little Aunt anymore.”
Bai Shuhua rubbed his little head. Children always dreamed of growing up in an instant.
Hoping for Little Brother Bai to grow up was not as good as hoping Bai Little Aunt would get married soon. Then she would torment someone else’s family.
Ai, that had a bit of the flavor of dumping trouble onto others.
The siblings got home and hurriedly ate the meal.
“Little Brother, are you tired?” Bai Shuhua washed the bowls and chopsticks and simply tidied the stove.
Little Brother Bai had been helping by her side the whole time and had not run off.
“I’m not tired, Sister. I want to go find Gou Sheng and the others.” Little Brother Bai wanted to go play.
Bai Shuhua said, “Sister will take you to pick mushrooms. Let’s go find Sister Xiaobing, okay?”
Little Brother Bai thought of the hawthorn slices Sister Xiaobing had given him last time, and could not help swallowing, “Okay!”
“Then let’s go.” Bai Shuhua did not dawdle either. She grabbed Little Brother Bai and set off immediately.
Song Xiaobing was bored at home. When she heard Bai Shuhua and her brother calling her to pick mushrooms, she told her grandpa and immediately skipped over.
“Little Brother, what’s this?” Bai Shuhua deliberately tested Little Brother Bai.
Little Brother Bai answered crisply, “Dandelion, a kind of wild vegetable, also a medicinal herb, with the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and dissipating nodules, and promoting urination and relieving painful urination.”
Bai Shuhua asked again, “What about this one?”
Little Brother Bai said, “Purslane. It has the effects of killing bacteria and reducing inflammation, dispersing blood and reducing swelling, and reducing jaundice.”
…
Bai Shuhua was very satisfied with Little Brother’s performance, and decided to make him something tasty tonight.
Steamed egg custard, then.
“Xiaojun has such a good memory, we only mentioned a couple of lines and he remembered them.” Song Xiaobing was a little surprised.
Bai Shuhua started boasting, “Mm, Xiaojun’s memory really isn’t bad. He takes after me.”
In the end, she could not resist adding herself in too.
That made Song Xiaobing laugh. After a long while, she suddenly remembered something. “Oh right, Shuhua, my grandpa said something. He plans to take a few people to learn medicine. It doesn’t count as apprentices, just learning along with him, doing odd jobs and helping out and stuff.”
Bai Shuhua almost jumped up. That old man had finally loosened up.
Great!
If it were not for the autumn harvest, and Bai Dad truly unable to get away, she would have wanted to drag Bai Dad to find the old doctor right now.
As for Little Brother being young and not counting as an apprentice or anything, that could all be discussed.
Because she got this good news, Bai Shuhua was excited all afternoon.
She and Little Brother picked a full basket of mushrooms.
After sending Xiaobing back to the clinic, Bai Shuhua brought Little Brother and made their presence known in front of the old doctor once again.
Don’t think it was useless, under the same conditions, being familiar with someone was a big plus.
“Older sister, when we go home, will Little Aunt hit us?” Little Brother Bai still remembered this.
Bai Shuhua looked at the sun, and since she had not heard the end-of-work gong, “She should still be working. Don’t be afraid, our family has the firewood stick.”
Little Brother Bai let out a long breath, feeling reassured.
Sure enough, after they got home, there was no one in the house, not even Second Sister.
Bai Shuhua moved over a small stool and a vegetable basin. “Little Brother, let’s sort out the mushrooms.”
There was no way they could finish all of them in one meal. They would sort them out a bit and dry them, and then they would have dried mushrooms to eat in winter.
“Sister, can we eat mushrooms tonight?” Little Brother Bai’s arms were short, but he was not slow at all while sorting.
Bai Shuhua agreed, “Okay. Pick out these two kinds with thicker flesh separately, they taste good stir-fried.”
“There are so many mushrooms in the forest. Let’s go again tomorrow.” Little Brother Bai had not had enough.
Bai Shuhua also wanted to go, “Mm.”
Mainly because it was the autumn harvest recently, and the team members were all fighting it out in the fields, so there were fewer people going into the forest, and mushrooms grew fast. Otherwise, they would not have been able to pick this many.
The three of them were children, so for safety, they only stayed around the foot of the mountain.
“You sort the rest, I’ll go wash the mushrooms, then pick some greens too. It’s time to make dinner.” Bai Shuhua clapped her hands and stood up.
Use mushrooms fried with greens, with a little chili added.
It was a close relative version of shiitake and bok choy, the taste definitely would not be bad.
And there was the egg custard as a reward for her younger brother.
Forget it, add one more egg. That way, the three of them could all have a couple of bites.
Then mix some cucumber shreds.
Altogether three dishes, that could not be considered making do, right?
She timed the meal precisely. When the egg custard had finished steaming, Bai Dad and the others came back.
Bai Shuhua hurriedly called Bai Dad over. There was hot water in the pot, he could soak his feet too.
Actually, this time of year was not really suitable for soaking feet, but she was afraid Bai Dad would slack off if he got tired, and there was still one dish left to stir-fry anyway, so she let him soak first.
Bai Dad was obedient. Although the whole person was listless, he was just like an eggplant beaten by frost, wilted.
“Father, the vegetable basin and bowls are too hot. Come over and take them.” She could not do this job, her hands were too tender.
Relatively speaking, of course Bai Dad had rough skin and thick flesh.
Bai Dad had no resistance to doing this, and was even happier when he saw the egg custard.
“Daughter, this is so plentiful. What are we eating as the staple food?” Bai Dad asked casually.
Bai Shuhua replied, “I made a lot at lunch, the leftovers are enough to eat. In a bit I’ll stir-fry the dishes. There’ll definitely be dish broth, and I’ll use the dish broth to fry the leftover rice.”
“Oh, you really can think up things, frying rice with dish broth.” Bai Dad only knew about soaking rice in dish broth. “I’m waiting to eat.”
Bai Shuhua put her hands on her hips. “Just you wait! Hurry up and soak your feet.”
Otherwise, when he went back into the room and took off his shoes, it would stink.
“Father, sit on the small stool.” Little Brother Bai carried over a little stool.
Bai Dad greatly enjoyed the service from his children.
But just after he took off one shoe, Little Brother Bai covered his nose and ran off, “So stinky, Sister, Father’s feet are even stinkier!”
Bai Shuhua called him, “Who told you to stand so close? Got stunk, huh? Hurry over and start the fire.”
Bai Dad: “…………”
Bai Shuhua stir-fried the chili and minced garlic until fragrant, first added the mushroom slices, stir-fried for two minutes, then added the greens. Once they were just cooked through, she added soy sauce and salt, then stir-fried a few more times and served it out.
Even though she moved fast enough, it still released broth. The greens had too much water.
She deliberately left the dish broth in the pot to use for frying rice.
Because she had put in a lot of greens, the dish was served in a basin.
“Third Brother, what good food did your family make? Give some to Father and Mother. Let me tell you, those two brats in your family are not good things, they dared to scold me!”
Bai Little Aunt had finally arrived, late but on time, to complain.
Bai Dad’s face darkened. He had not even gone to look for her, and she had come to him on her own. “My daughter is praised by every teacher at school. How could she curse you for no reason? You must have done something that deserved being cursed.”
Bai Little Aunt got angry, and her voice rose, “What did I do!”
This drew both of the eldest uncle’s couple to look over here.
Bai Dad no longer soaked his feet, and stood up directly. “What do you mean, what did you do? How old are you, and you still can’t cook for yourself, yet you’re calling two nieces over to help. How shameless can you be.”
Bai Little Aunt was very unconvinced. “I’m an elder, what’s wrong with making them do a bit of work!”
“We’ve already split households, stop putting on the airs of an elder! I’m telling you, Bai Zhenzhen, from now on stop bossing my daughter around!” Bai Dad pointed at her, counting as a warning.
Bai Little Aunt was the most afraid of the strong and bullying to the weak. She was afraid of getting hit, and shouted for help at the top of her lungs, “Mother, hurry over, my third brother is hitting me!”
Bai Shuhua rolled her eyes when she heard that. This person was simply turning black into white. Bai Dad had not even touched her with a finger, okay.