Li Meixian hadn’t expected the other party to act so quickly and felt a bit envious.
However, considering her own financial constraints and the many future expenses, renting a house was out of the question for now!
“You sure move fast. You just mentioned it last night and got it done today. After lunch, I’ll help you move your things. We all came to the countryside together, so just let us know if you need anything.”
Shi Caixia said cheerfully. She didn’t overthink it—if someone could afford to rent a house, it was their own ability. Moreover, looking at the medicinal herbs in the yard, it was clear this person truly had skills and wasn’t just relying on family support.
“I didn’t know you knew medicine and could recognize herbs. I heard herbs can fetch a lot of money! But I haven’t seen any pharmaceutical factories around here. What do you plan to do with these?” Surely you’re not using them all yourself!
Wang Yajuan kept the last thought to herself as she curiously eyed the still-unorganized herbs in the yard.
“Hey~ Where did this pheasant come from? This is a pheasant, right? It looks just like the pictures I’ve seen in books.”
While chatting, the group had already moved the things they bought into their rooms.
The person with the cart had left. Su Mi was tidying up the herbs in the yard, while Liu Wenli fetched water to wipe the dust off the cabinets when she noticed two people plucking feathers in the kitchen.
She had seen domesticated hens and roosters before, but this was her first time seeing a pheasant, and she found it quite novel.
Especially since it was obvious there would be meat for lunch, making her mouth water involuntarily.
Fortunately, no one else was around, and the two plucking the feathers didn’t notice, or she would have been quite embarrassed.
“Comrade Su Mi caught it from the mountain. She said it’s for our lunch today. We’re really taking advantage of Little Su Zhiqing’s generosity!”
Wang Dongmei had been here for almost three years, and opportunities to eat meat were truly rare, except at the end of the year. However, in the first two years, she hadn’t adapted well to farm work, so she hadn’t received much meat even then. She was genuinely craving it.
“Su Mi is really impressive. With two chickens and so many of us, I think we should make chicken soup. A big pot with some potatoes and cabbage would be perfect.”
He Caiwen, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, said with shining eyes.
“No need for you to say it! That’s exactly the plan.”
Another veteran educated youth rolled her eyes. She hated it when others tried to give instructions, even if they meant well, finding it annoying.
He Caiwen didn’t notice anything amiss, her mind already occupied by the thought of rich, fragrant chicken soup.
“I don’t have much to do right now. Are the potatoes peeled? I’ll peel them.”
Of course, she couldn’t voice her thoughts. Seeing she had nothing to do, He Caiwen found herself a task.
Having someone help was naturally a good thing. The two cooking didn’t object, chatting as they worked to strengthen their bond.
The two pheasants, once cleaned, yielded less than seven pounds of meat in total.
Chopped into small pieces and divided among over sixty people, each person could get three or four pieces.
The main appeal was that the radishes and potatoes in the pot absorbed the meaty flavor, making them much tastier than before. Additionally, the chicken had a thin layer of fat, which was rendered to stir-fry the meat before simmering.
The resulting soup was incredibly delicious. Su Mi even added goji berries, red dates, and freshly dug Wild Glehnia to it.
She claimed it was to help everyone replenish their qi and blood.
In short, within the time it took for two chickens and a meal, the old educated youth’s favorable impression of Su Mi greatly increased.
After the meal, Niu Dali came over, of course bringing the ox cart but without the ox.
He helped Su Mi move her luggage. Even though she hadn’t yet bought wooden furniture like the five-drawer cabinet, the scattered items still filled an entire cart.
Of course, nothing was stacked high, otherwise it wouldn’t have taken up such a large area.
Wang Yajuan and a few others, having nothing else to do, helped carry the luggage and followed Niu Dali to the place where Su Mi was renting.
The place had already been tidied up by Village Chief Niu’s eldest, second, and third sons.
Cracks in the walls had been filled with freshly mixed mud.
The thatched roof overhead had also been replaced with new straw. Overall, it was fairly well arranged.
Although apart from Niu Dali, who was cheerful, everyone else wore expressions of speechless dismay.
If not for fear of offending the village chief, they would likely have voiced their disdain long ago.
Su Mi hadn’t expected it to be so dilapidated either, but since she had already paid, she wouldn’t go back on her word. Besides, there were treasures hidden beneath the house!
In any case, she would be living here for several years. As long as the foundation was solid, replacing the walls shouldn’t be too difficult if necessary.
“Little Su, the heated brick bed won’t be needed for a couple of days. My uncle said since you moved in a hurry, you can stay in one room for now. Once Liu Laosi and the others have some free time, they’ll build the heated bed for you. It won’t take long—just a day to finish. In our village, only Liu Laosi’s family knows how to build heated beds.”
Niu Dali helped move things into the house while chattering nonstop, relaying everything his uncle had instructed him to say.
“It’s fine, no rush for now. At least there’s a big yard where I can dry medicinal herbs.”
Su Mi felt that the only thing cheering her up a bit was the large yard and the high walls—though the walls were, well, somewhat intact, which was better than nothing. The yard had been swept clean and was quite level.
Su Mi comforted herself inwardly.
After putting her things inside, she wasn’t in a hurry to unpack. Instead, she locked the door and followed Li Meixuan and the others back to the educated youth courtyard.
Sure enough, Su Mi’s timing was spot on.
As soon as she returned, she saw four people standing in the yard who clearly stood out from the ordinary.
The female lead of this world, Bai Xianxian, along with her number one, two, and three admirers.
Number one, Zhao Kai, the female lead’s classmate and childhood friend. They grew up in the same residential compound, with parents working in the same factory. They had walked to and from school together since kindergarten, so their bond was naturally strong.
Number two, Gu Mo, the son of the factory clinic director. He also pursued the female lead but never won her affection. In the end, he silently guarded his unrequited love, transforming into a protective warrior. After the economy opened up, he helped the female lead with her business. Despite having the ability to be his own boss, he chose to be a hardworking but powerless assistant. Eventually pressured by his parents to marry, even after having a son, he never truly moved on. Whenever the female lead needed him, he would drop everything.
Number three, Li Fan, the son of the deputy factory director. He was the only treasure in his family. Perhaps due to work-related reasons, even though he was the only child, his parents were strict with him, leading to a lack of affection since childhood and an extremely rebellious nature.
He was also the female lead’s childhood friend, following Bai Xianxian around like a shadow since they were young. After falling in love with her, he lost all sense of self. Whatever the female lead said or did was right in his eyes. If anything went wrong, it was always someone else’s fault, and he would act like a mad dog.
In the end, he was implicated by the female lead and had his legs broken. After becoming disabled, he was taken away by his parents. The novel never mentioned what happened to him or his family afterward.
However, Su Mi felt that Li Fan’s disability was partly due to his own big mouth.