After Xu Tang finished preparing the dishes, Xu Qingqing quietly slipped inside.
“Auntie, it smells so good…” Xu Qingqing licked her lips.
“Qingqing, I’m done cooking. Take the dishes outside, and we can start eating.”
Xu Qingqing stepped through the doorway and saw the braised rabbit on the stove. Her mouth watered instantly.
Seeing this, Xu Tang picked up a piece and popped it into her mouth.
Xu Qingqing ate while fanning her mouth with her hand. “So delicious! It’s so hot! Hiss, hiss…”
Xu Tang chuckled. “Then make sure you eat plenty later, Qingqing.”
Xu Qingqing nodded vigorously. “Mm~”
After Xu Qingqing carried the dish outside, Xu Tang used the remaining oil to stir-fry a plate of wild vegetables. By then, the mixed-grain steamed buns were also ready.
Although Xu Tang really wanted to eat a bowl of white rice, Zhao Guifang definitely wouldn’t be willing to cook that much rice for so many people.
Soon, her eldest and second sisters-in-law came in to carry the dishes out. After washing her hands, Xu Tang walked into the main room.
No one had started eating yet. Everyone was waiting for Xu Tang.
“Sweetheart, come sit beside Mom.”
Xu Tang walked over and sat beside Zhao Guifang. Zhao Guifang immediately ladled a bowl of rabbit meat and placed it in front of her before saying to everyone,
“Let’s eat.”
Only then did everyone pick up their bowls and chopsticks.
Everyone’s very first bite was rabbit meat. One bite of rabbit followed by one bite of steamed bun, they all ate with great satisfaction.
Xu Tang felt that her cooking skills had improved yet again.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
Xu Wanjia felt like he was living the life he had always dreamed of. In just these past few days, they had eaten meat almost as many times as they normally did in an entire year.
Xu Wanlin, on the other hand, thought his little aunt was simply amazing. He had gone up the mountain so many times without even seeing a single wild chicken feather, yet his little aunt had somehow managed to catch both rabbits and wild chickens.
After Xu Tang finished eating, everyone rushed to clean up.
Zhao Guifang, meanwhile, pulled Xu Tang back into the room and reminded her, “How about I go with you tomorrow? I really don’t feel comfortable letting you go alone.”
Xu Tang reassured her, “Mom, I’m not a little kid anymore. Girls my age in other families are already married. Besides, didn’t I used to go to school in the city?”
Zhao Guifang thought about it and realized she was right. Her daughter had attended high school in the city before, so she was certainly more familiar with the place than she was.
She gave Xu Tang a few more reminders to be careful before finally letting the matter go.
Later, Xu Tang was taking a stroll around the courtyard when Xu Guoli came over and told her firmly, “You must observe Wu Zhixiang carefully tomorrow. If he’s frivolous or impolite, absolutely do not agree to anything.”
Xu Tang nodded and agreed to everything he said.
She felt that life was really happy like this.
The next morning, Zhao Guifang knocked on Xu Tang’s door early.
“Tangtang, hurry up and get up! Otherwise, you’ll miss the tractor to town.”
Xu Tang sat up and called toward the door, “I know, Mom. I’m getting up right now.”
Hearing the sounds of her daughter getting out of bed, Zhao Guifang knew Xu Tang was awake and left with peace of mind to go to work.
Xu Tang got dressed, quickly braided her hair, washed up, grabbed her cloth bag, and headed out.
She hurried to the village entrance. Several people were already on the tractor, including educated youths and village women.
As soon as Xu Tang climbed onto the tractor, the village women greeted her warmly.
After all, she had frequently gone to bring water to her parents, gathered wild vegetables in the mountains, and generally behaved much better lately. Her reputation in the village had improved considerably.
Xu Tang greeted everyone in return before sitting down.
The two educated youths sitting beside her, Yang Lulu and Xu Xiaoyun, kept stealing glances at her.
Xu Tang turned toward them and gave them a polite smile.
Yang Lulu felt as though she had just been hit by a beauty attack.
She took the initiative to speak. “Comrade Xu, you’re so beautiful.”
Xu Tang smiled slightly. “You’re very pretty too.”
She wasn’t just being polite. Yang Lulu had a pair of large eyes and two dimples that appeared whenever she smiled, making her look very cute.
Yang Lulu introduced herself. “Hello, Comrade Xu. My name is Yang Lulu, and this is Xu Xiaoyun.”
She pointed toward Xu Xiaoyun beside her.
Xu Tang politely replied, “Hello. My name is Xu Tang.”
Xu Xiaoyun said excitedly, “Comrade Xu, you’re the prettiest person I’ve ever seen.”
Xu Xiaoyun also thought Xu Tang smelled really nice.
Xu Tang felt that the two educated youths were quite straightforward and easygoing. She chatted with them on and off, and before long, they arrived in town.