Watching Shen Yao eat was unexpectedly pleasing.
He Shi had never realized that simply watching a girl have a meal could be such an enjoyable thing.
His gaze swept over the small pile of soft-shelled turtle bones rapidly accumulating beside her bowl.
Lowering his eyes to hide the amusement there, he wondered how she managed it.
Her movements remained elegant and refined, yet somehow that did not slow down her meat-eating speed in the slightest.
How exactly did she do that?
It was hard to imagine how the Shen family had raised her.
She was clearly a village girl, and one whose intellect was supposedly lacking, yet every gesture naturally carried an air of grace.
Not the sort that came from deliberate effort, but the kind that seemed carved into her bones.
The kind that made people think of nobility by birth.
He picked up a piece of stir-fried long bean and put it into his mouth.
It was an ordinary dish, yet surprisingly delicious.
Shen Yao’s mother’s cooking really was excellent.
Shen Guozhong urged everyone to help themselves.
Since Song Jincheng was sitting farther away, he reached out and swapped the fish dish near his own family with a plate of vegetables closer to Song Jincheng.
“Stretch your arms a little. Don’t stand on ceremony here. The weather’s hot and food doesn’t keep well. Better to finish everything tonight.”
As he spoke, he reached for the plate of soft-shelled turtle as well.
He Shi quickly raised a hand and gently pressed down on Shen Guozhong’s arm.
“Uncle Shen, please sit. We can all reach the food just fine.”
His smile was courteous and warm.
“And don’t tell me you’re taking away these long beans because of me. Auntie’s cooking is truly excellent. Cooking meat well isn’t difficult, but making long beans taste this good takes real skill. I actually love this dish.”
The compliment sounded so natural and sincere that Shen Guozhong believed him.
Wang Yunzhi believed him too.
Only moments ago, while in the kitchen, she had thought Educated Youth He was somewhat unreliable.
Now she was all smiles, thinking he was a genuinely nice young man with a sweet tongue and excellent manners.
Following He Shi’s gesture, Shen Guozhong sat back down with a smile.
He doted on his children.
Seeing Shen Yao and Shen Gang quietly focused on eating, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened with affection.
His daughter clearly loved the soft-shelled turtle.
Since He Shi had stopped him, he left the dish exactly where it was.
So, by stopping that plate from being moved, He Shi had unknowingly won his way straight into Team Leader Shen’s good graces.
If a perfect score was one hundred points, that move alone earned him three.
Shen Yao, however, was completely unconcerned with any of that.
Her gaze landed briefly on the plate of braised fish sitting beside Song Jincheng.
A small sense of regret rose in her heart.
Braised fish…
Just moments ago, she had only been thinking that the turtle meat had more meat and fewer bones, making it the fastest way to satisfy her craving.
That was why she had eaten two pieces in a row.
Who would have thought that the braised fish, which had originally been within reach, would suddenly be whisked far away?
It had been such a long, long time since she had tasted rich, flavorful braised fish.
After tonight, who knew when her mother would next be willing to use enough oil to cook another braised dish?
The etiquette drilled into her since childhood dictated that one did not stand up to reach for food that was out of reach.
Such behavior was unbecoming of a proper young lady.
Of course, back at home, maids served dishes for her, so the issue rarely arose. Only at banquets outside the residence did she need to be mindful of such matters.
The more she thought about it, the more regretful she felt.
She should have taken a piece of fish after the first bite of turtle.
Without realizing it, in just a minute or two, her eyes had already drifted toward the fish twice.
He Shi nearly laughed.
For some reason, he immediately guessed exactly what she was thinking.
The little fool was actually this restrained.
If the dish was too far away, she could simply stand up and reach for it.
Yet her eyes were acting out an entire drama by themselves.
He picked up a mouthful of vegetables and calmly ate them.
At this rate, he felt he did not need any other dishes tonight.
Simply watching the little fool was enough to make the meal satisfying.
Perhaps because he was in such a good mood, He Shi found himself unusually charitable.
Feeling generous, he decided to help the little fool out.
He picked up a river snail from the plate in front of him and sucked the meat out.
Then he raised an eyebrow and praised it enthusiastically.
“Auntie’s stir-fried river snails are exceptional. Fresh, spicy, absolutely delicious. Educated Youth Song, you should try them.”
His sudden display of consideration caught Song Jincheng off guard. He was simply too aloof and cold in everyday life. Song Jincheng let out an “Ah,” then came to his senses and said, “Then I really should give it a try.”
The dish wasn’t easy for Song Jincheng to reach from where he was sitting, so He Shi casually picked up the plate of river snails and moved it over to him. Only after lifting it did he seem to realize there was nowhere convenient to set it down. After a moment’s thought, he shifted the bowl of egg soup that had been sitting in the center toward himself, moved the fish that had just been placed in front of Song Jincheng, before it had even settled there, to the middle of the table, and set the snails down in front of Song Jincheng.
Smiling, he said, “Auntie made this whole table of dishes to treat you. Dongzi and I can’t steal the spotlight from the guest of honor. Give it a taste. It goes well with drinks.”
Hearing that, Wang Yunzhi felt that this Educated Youth He was not only sweet-tongued but also quite courteous. She decided she had misjudged him earlier and said with a smile, “Don’t be shy, everyone. There are two big plates of snails today. There’s plenty to go around.”
Song Jincheng was from Shanghai and actually wasn’t very good with spicy food. But it was hard to refuse such hospitality. Smiling, he sucked the meat from one snail, then another, and soon couldn’t stop. After a few snails, he was washing them down with mouthfuls of cooled boiled water, yet still found himself hooked.
Shen Yao noticed that the plate of fish had somehow made its way back within her reach. Looking up, she met the trace of amusement in He Shi’s eyes and froze for a moment.
A thought surfaced in her mind.
Could he have done that for her?
But because of the bed-climbing incident, He Shi clearly disliked her. Why would he help her?
Unable to make sense of it, she stopped thinking about it. She did realize, however, that her longing for the fish must have been rather obvious just now.
Then again, so what?
Anyone in her situation, someone who had grown up surrounded by luxury and fine food, then suddenly found herself living such a harsh and frugal life as if exiled to some remote frontier, would crave good food.
Once she thought it through, she stopped dwelling on it. She picked up a piece of fish belly meat and ate it with her sweet potato rice, thoroughly enjoying the meal.
While she focused on eating, Shen Guozhong drank and talked with the three educated youths about the importance of the double harvest season.
Farming depended on timing. Miss the proper season, and no matter how diligently you tended the crops afterward, there would be no harvest. So once the rice ripened in mid-July, it had to be cut immediately, and the prepared seedlings had to be transplanted before the end of the month.
“If you miss the farming season, the best-case scenario is reduced yields. The worst-case scenario is losing everything. Neither is something we can afford. That’s why, even people who aren’t usually very efficient at work put in one hundred and twenty percent effort during the double harvest. It affects whether we can deliver grain to the state and whether our production team members will have enough food for the next half year. The responsibility is too great to take lightly.”
When he reached this point, Shen Guozhong deliberately looked at He Shi and Xu Xiangdong.
“I can tell your families are well-off. You’re not relying on those work points to survive, and ordinarily I don’t concern myself with that. But during the double harvest, you’ll still need to join the villagers in harvesting and transplanting. It’s only half a month. Young people can endure a little hardship. Grit your teeth and get through it.”
He Shi had come today under the pretense of learning more about the double harvest in order to join the meal, so naturally he agreed. Once he did, Xu Xiangdong followed suit.
The dinner at the Shen household ended with both hosts and guests thoroughly satisfied.
Since everyone would need to get up no later than 4:50 the next morning in order to make the five o’clock morning shift, Shen Guozhong urged the three educated youths to drink less, eat more, and head back early to rest.
But just as they were about to leave, He Shi took out two yuan, along with one jin’s worth of grain coupons and one jin’s worth of meat coupons, and placed them on the table.
He said it was the cost of dinner for himself and Xu Xiangdong.
“Since you can catch fish from the river, I won’t give fish coupons. I’ll replace them with meat coupons instead. This has been the most satisfying meal I’ve had since leaving home. I really have to thank Uncle Shen for the hospitality.”
There was no way Shen Guozhong would accept that much money and so many coupons.
He knew perfectly well what the going rate was for educated youths sharing meals with local families. In Shenjia Village, it was usually twenty cents and two liang of grain coupons per meal.
He pushed the money and coupons back toward He Shi.
“We don’t have much grain at home. We didn’t serve fine white rice or wheat flour dishes, just sweet potato rice. It isn’t worth this much. As for the fish and such, they weren’t bought. We caught them ourselves from the river, so they didn’t cost anything.”
He Shi refused to let him return them.
“When we’re really craving something, we go to the state-run restaurant for a meal. That costs much more than this. If anything, you’re saving me money. Uncle Shen, please take it. From now on, I won’t bother going to the state-run restaurant. If I get a craving, I’ll bring grain coupons and buy some meat, then ask Auntie to help cook something so we can improve our meals once in a while.”
Watching from the side, Xu Xiangdong felt his entire understanding of He Shi being overturned.
This was unbelievable.
He Shi was actually saying things this down-to-earth?
Amazing!
Perhaps because He Shi had performed so well today, he had even paid Xu Xiangdong’s share along with his own. Naturally, Xu Xiangdong stepped in to support him.
Once He Shi produced money and coupons, Song Jincheng also took out his grain coupons.
He no longer had any meat coupons, so he offered fifty cents and a five-liang grain coupon. He genuinely felt that He Shi was right. After eating such a fine meal, it was only proper to contribute something. He echoed He Shi’s sentiments as well.
The pushing and refusing went back and forth for a while, looking increasingly awkward. In the end, Shen Guozhong accepted the money and coupons.
He then told He Shi, “If you want something to eat in the future and don’t know how to cook it, don’t bother with the state-run restaurant. Just bring it here occasionally and ask your auntie to prepare it for you. Just don’t keep giving us money and coupons.”
That suited He Shi perfectly.
After a few polite exchanges, he had secured future opportunities to eat at the Shen household. He couldn’t have been more pleased.
Once everyone had gone and the guests were far away, Shen Guozhong looked at the stack of money and coupons in his hand.
The cash and grain coupons were one thing. The meat coupon was another matter entirely.
A full jin’s worth of meat coupons.
Used sparingly, it would be enough to buy meat two or three times.
Even Shen Gang’s eyes lit up at the sight of it.
After latching the courtyard gate, Shen Guozhong returned to the house and said to Wang Yunzhi, “I didn’t realize it before, but this Educated Youth He is actually quite a decent and generous person.”
Wang Yunzhi was cleaning up the table with Shen Yao and nodded in agreement.
“Just one meal, and he insisted on giving so much money and so many coupons. We couldn’t even refuse. No wonder several families across the river have been hoping He and Educated Youth Xu will get tired of Old Sixth Uncle’s cooking and switch to eating with them instead. Though from what I’ve heard, he didn’t give them this much. It was usually the standard rate that other educated youths paid. It’s just that he likes buying meat, and every now and then some of it ends up in Old Sixth Uncle’s children’s mouths.”
Though Wang Yunzhi praised him, she had no intention of taking advantage of it.
Even though Shen Yao had clearly become more sensible and was no longer so easily fooled, Wang Yunzhi still had no desire to have young male educated youths constantly visiting their home.
Shen Guozhong shook his head.
“That’s not what I mean. I can understand him paying extra because tonight’s meal was especially lavish. But didn’t you notice? During the entire meal, he only ate a few snails. He didn’t touch a single piece of soft-shelled turtle or braised fish. He ate nothing but the vegetable dishes.”
He looked at his son and daughter and said, “He was probably thinking that our family rarely gets to eat such good food. If he eats one less piece, that means our family can eat one more. That’s why I said he’s considerate. I even feel guilty taking his money and food coupons.”
While helping clear the table, Shen Yao glanced at the spot where He Shi had been sitting. Sure enough, aside from a few snail shells, there was not a single bone or fish spine left behind. Maybe this person was not as bad as she had thought.
After exchanging a few words with Wang Yunzhi, Shen Guozhong turned to Shen Gang and said, “Gangzi, get up at four-something tomorrow morning too. You’ll go do the early shift at five. You’re already thirteen. Normally it wouldn’t matter, but during the double harvest season, when things are this critical, you should be working as well. We can’t let the other commune members think our family gets special treatment.”
Shen Gang nodded so vigorously it looked like a chicken pecking at rice. “Then what about cutting pig fodder and feeding the pigs? How can my sister handle all that by herself?”
Before Shen Guozhong could answer, Shen Yao said there was no problem. If one trip was not enough, she would just make several. The rest of the family would be out in the fields doing the hardest work. She could hardly complain about being tired over such a small amount of work.
Shen Gang said, “Sis, don’t push yourself too hard. Just cut enough for the pigs’ morning feed. After I finish the early shift, I’ll help you cut another basket.”