However, Shen Zhao was still very grateful to her.
"Okay, I understand. I'll go to town to look for books later."
The original owner had only graduated from junior high school and had never been exposed to high school knowledge, but she believed in her own brain.
"We'll go together later."
Shen Zhao agreed.
After greeting Ji Bai and Wen Yixun, she returned to the He family.
Seeing He Xiaolan carrying a large basin of clothes to go out, she told her that she didn't need to cook her own meal tonight.
"Wait, Educated Youth Shen, your clothes that you changed out of... do you need me to wash them for you?"
Shen Zhao paused. If someone was willing to help, why not?
"Alright, I'll give you half a catty of brown sugar later, and you can wash my clothes separately."
"Ah?" He Xiaolan was stunned. "You don't need to give me anything else. It's just a small favor. That hair hoop from last night already cost a lot."
"Take it if I give it to you. Otherwise, I'd feel too embarrassed to ask you to do work for me." Shen Zhao went inside, took out half a bag of brown sugar, and placed it on the table in the main hall.
"Besides, I have a requirement: you absolutely cannot mix my clothes with yours."
He Xiaolan knew she was being looked down upon and felt a little uncomfortable, but then she saw the half catty of brown sugar and changed her mind.
She gave too much.
She had never worked for Educated Youth Shen without being compensated.
"Okay, I'll wash yours after I finish this basin."
Shen Zhao nodded, went inside, put her dirty clothes in a basin, added a bar of soap, and brought it out to He Xiaolan.
He Xiaolan stacked the two basins together and went to the riverbank.
Shen Zhao found a basket, put in century eggs, preserved sausage, a lunchbox of stir-fried winter bamboo shoots with cured meat, and half a bowl of unpolished rice.
No family had abundant food, especially for them, the newcomers, who only received twenty catties of unpolished rice and twenty catties of sweet potatoes each.
It was only November, and it would be several months until the next harvest. They definitely wouldn't have enough to eat.
Therefore, when eating at someone else's house, it was best to bring your own rations.
She also had to provide rations when eating at the He family's.
Carrying the basket, she arrived at the Educated Youth Dormitory.
It was only a little past three in the afternoon. The old educated youths had gone to work, and only a few new educated youths were present.
The newly built stove was next to the courtyard. Gu Qiu, holding a shovel, looked up from behind the pot. "You're here! I'm stewing pork rib soup. Have some more later."
"Great," Shen Zhao smiled and handed over the basket. "I'll have to trouble you with these too."
"Give them to me." Ji Bai quickly took it.
He had also changed into a rustic gray cotton-padded jacket, with his sleeves rolled up, revealing a section of his smoothly contoured forearm.
Although his attire was simple, his natural elegance could not be concealed.
Shen Zhao's gaze fell on the kitchen knife in his hand. "Then I'll trouble you."
Wen Yixun looked up. "Don't be so polite, we're a group." He sat on a small stool, fanning the fire, his face smudged with soot. When he smiled, his white teeth showed.
Wang Nan was washing pea shoots on the other side. She looked up, greeted them, and continued working.
Shen Zhao looked around, moved a small stool, and sat on the other side to start a fire.
They only had one pot, so after Gu Qiu prepared the ribs, she put them in an earthenware pot and placed it on this fire to stew.
The rice was also cooked in an earthenware pot.
The preserved sausage Shen Zhao brought only needed to be cooked and sliced. The century eggs were one per person.
In addition to these, Gu Qiu also made pickled cabbage fish, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and cold cucumber salad.
Ji Bai contributed the eggs and ribs, and Wen Yixun contributed a few cans of fruit.
The fish, tomatoes, and cucumbers were Gu Qiu's.
Wang Nan took out a jar of beef sauce that her family had fried for her, then bought some pea shoots and tofu from the village to make a pea shoot and tofu soup.
Then, each person had a large bowl of rice without sweet potatoes.
It was the most abundant meal they had since arriving here.
The pickled cabbage fish had a strong, fresh, sour, and spicy aroma that spread far.
It was exactly the time to finish work, and Zhou Xiaoyan and the others smelled the aroma before they even got home.
Saliva continuously secreted in their mouths.
As they got closer, they indeed saw the four newcomers sitting in the open space by the entrance, with a pile of food on the table, most of it meat dishes.
Especially when she saw Shen Zhao, her expression turned cold. "Some people, their own privileged behavior is one thing, but to lead others along with them, truly shameless."
Gu Qiu was so angry she jumped up. "What business is it of yours? Also, my ancestors were poor peasants for three generations, as proven by our household registration.
Shen Zhao was someone she had invited. Zhou Xiaoyan saying that was like slapping her in the face.
She, Gu Qiu, would be the first to disagree.
Zhou Xiaoyan's expression darkened. "This is the Educated Youth Dormitory, not your home. You eating alone is undermining solidarity."
She was good at labeling people.
With the female comrades arguing, Ji Bai and Wen Yixun found it difficult to intervene.
So, Wang Nan wiped away nonexistent tears, stood up, and said to Zhong Zheng, who had just entered the door.
"Brother Zhong, does Sister Zhou dislike me? I'll go ask the Team Leader. We are also educated youths.
Why can't we eat in front of our own house?"
Upon hearing this, Zhong Zheng glanced at Zhou Xiaoyan with displeasure. "Educated Youth Zhou, how many times have I told you not to bully the new educated youths? Comrade Wang is so timid; you've scared her."
Zhou Xiaoyan's face turned the color of liver.
"Zhong Zheng! You're actually taking that bitch's side! I'm breaking up with you!"
Zhong Zheng's face froze. "I'm just stating the facts. If you want to think that way, there's nothing I can do." He then turned and went inside.
When he first pursued Zhou Xiaoyan, he heard she had an uncle who worked at the police station in town. But after two years of contact, he hadn't gained any benefits, and he was already tired of catering to her.
She had a bad temper, wasn't particularly good-looking, and sometimes he had to support her financially.
Zhou Xiaoyan also turned and went into her room.
Shen Zhao: ... The family was stunned.
She hadn't even said anything, and Wang Nan and Gu Qiu had already resolved the situation.
And she got to witness the drama of the two leaders of the Educated Youth Point falling out.
She looked at Wang Nan with new eyes.
Wang Nan chuckled and lowered her head to eat.
Ji Bai scooped a bowl of pork rib soup and placed it in front of Shen Zhao, his voice clear and cold.
"Don't mind irrelevant people. Drink some soup to warm up."
Shen Zhao looked at the soup in front of her, then at Ji Bai's pleasing face.
Hmm... it seems having a few friends isn't bad.
Gu Qiu looked back and forth between the two, smiling meaningfully.
They ate for a while.
Suddenly, Zhou Xiaoyan came out of her room carrying a charcoal stove and stood upwind to dump the ashes.
The ashes in the stove blew towards the dining table with the wind, about to fall into the food.
Shen Zhao slammed her chopsticks down on the table, creating an invisible wave of air that blocked the ashes.
She stood up and said coldly, "Go somewhere else to do that."
Zhou Xiaoyan rolled her eyes. "Is this your house? I want to dump it here, it's none of your business."
As she spoke, she banged the stove loudly. The ashes flew everywhere. Even a ghost wouldn't believe it wasn't intentional.
Gu Qiu was furious. The good meal was ruined.
Having met Shen Zhao on the train, she knew how particular Shen Zhao was. How could she possibly eat now?
Facing Zhou Xiaoyan's provocative gaze, she couldn't help but clench her fists.
Just as she was about to say something, she saw Shen Zhao fly out like a shadow.
The next second, an afterimage carrying the stove flew three meters away and smashed heavily onto the ground.
✦✦✦