Chapter 21
Hearing that, the villagers were stunned. Instead of thinking about what to eat, Qiao Mei was now concerned about the pigs at home?
How rare!
Furthermore, she was actually shouldering a carrying pole and getting to work? In the past, she had never been seen at the market, not to mention going out with a carrying pole.
At this moment, the only place where one could dig up such lush wild plants would be at the hot spring area deep in the mountains. She actually made such a long trip to dig for pig feed?
Wasn't Qiao Mei supposed to be very lazy?
Although Zhao Liang was also surprised, his surprise was about something else. Qiao Mei actually called him Uncle Zhao? This was even more surprising to him than Qiao Mei getting to work.
Uncle Zhao, you guys go ahead. I'll go back first.
After Qiao Mei said that, she walked back with a smile. She passed by an old farmer who was frozen on the spot and said,
Uncle Wang, I heard that you are selling piglets. Remember to leave a good one for my family, I'll go to your house to buy it tomorrow. Don't worry, I won't forget your money.
Ah? Oh, oh, okay, okay…
Wang Wu was shocked. He could not believe that these polite words came from Qiao Mei.
Before Qiao Mei reached home, she already saw her grandfather waiting for her at the gate.
Seeing Qiao Mei carrying two big baskets, he held back his emotions and went up to her. As the person closest to Qiao Mei, he naturally knew how lazy she was.
That was why he knew how great the extent that Qiao Mei had changed.
Grandfather, please rest. I can handle it.
Qiao Mei sidestepped him.
I'm strong enough to carry it. Don't spoil me anymore, I should do some work.
Alright, alright, let's go in!
Qiao Qiang said with a bright smile.
Qiao Mei brought the two baskets into the kitchen and lifted the weeds on the surface, revealing the golden pumpkins and big sweet potatoes inside.
Qiao Qiang froze on the spot and asked,
Where did you get so many pumpkins and sweet potatoes?
It's from the hot spring area at the back of the mountain,
Qiao Mei said casually.
I was walking around and didn't expect to see so many pumpkins and sweet potatoes. I'll go and see if there are any other crops tomorrow.
From the hot spring area?
Qiao Qiang pondered that it was now the beginning of spring and the pumpkins and sweet potatoes in the fields had yet to sprout. This was the first time he had heard of so many crops growing at the hot spring area.
However, the temperature there was high, so it was not surprising if a few pumpkins and sweet potatoes grew there.
In the past, there might have been people who managed to pluck them, but remained tight-lipped and did not tell others.
My Mei Mei is just lucky!
Qiao Qiang said with a gratified smile.
He did not think too much about it. Such beautiful pumpkins and sweet potatoes had to be from the hot spring area as nobody's land could produce crops of such good quality.
Qiao Mei put down all the things and started cooking.
Today's menu was a pumpkin feast – fried pumpkin, boiled pumpkin, stewed pumpkin, and fried pumpkin cake.
There was still no skill required in cooking, it all just depended on the fragrance of the ingredients.
Qiao Qiang could not stop praising once the food entered his mouth and the smile on his face grew wider and wider. The way he saw it, compared to other girls, Qiao Mei finally had a strong point. The food she made was so delicious. No matter where she went, she would not be looked down upon, right?
Grandfather, I just told Uncle Wang Wu that we would go to his house tomorrow and buy a piglet to raise,
Qiao Mei said.
Qiao Qiang was even happier when he heard that.
Now, not only did his granddaughter have good culinary skills, but she also knew how to think for her family.
Okay, okay. We'll go over tomorrow morning. Grandfather feels much better than before and has more strength now. Raising a pig won't be a problem.
You don't need to raise them. You just need to go and buy a piglet as I don't know how to pick one.
Then Qiao Mei continued and asked,
Do we still have any money left?
Yes, yes, yes!
Qiao Qiang smiled and waved his hand.
Don't worry about the money. Use the remaining money we have first and I will give him the balance when I get my retirement salary in a few days. These few days won't make a difference.
Besides, Qiao Qiang wasn't someone who would default on his payment.
Hearing this, Qiao Mei was stunned for a moment. She suddenly remembered that this was a society bound by relationships. It was not like the future when one would not be able to buy a piglet if one lacked a few dollars off the price
In that case, there was no hurry to sell the remaining pumpkins. After all, the remaining pumpkins were not worth much.
Chapter 22
I want to earn money!
Qiao Mei said.
Qiao Qiang jumped in fright, thinking that he had misheard.
Earn money?
Qiao Qiang said with a smile.
Good, good, good! Grandfather will go to town tomorrow to ask around and find you a good job!
In his opinion, if one wanted to earn money, one should go to work in the city so as to be able to earn a decent salary.
He used to think so too and even found Qiao Mei a job. Qiao Mei went to work happily, but not even half a day later, she came back because she said it was too tiring.
Now Mei Mei had really grown up as she knew she needed to make money to support her family.
No, no, no!
Qiao Mei immediately said.
How much money can one earn from being a worker? It's not even enough to supplement the household expenses. Besides, I have to leave home to go to work and I don't feel at ease leaving you alone at home.
When Qiao Qiang heard this, his eyes reddened.
I want to go and sell things in the city,
said Qiao Mei.
Hearing this, Qiao Qiang got such a fright that the tears in his eyes were forced back. Waving his hands around, he immediately got down from the brick bed and looked out to see if there was anyone around. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief and sat back down.
It's speculative to buy and sell things, that's capitalist behavior! We can't do that!
He frowned and said in a low voice.
This was a big matter, so he could not be careless about it.
There was still no reform and opening up right now yet and private business trading was not allowed. If they were discovered and arrested, it would be a big deal.
It's not like that, grandfather. I am not doing trading, I just want to sell our family's produce.
As an elite lawyer, how could she not know that it was dangerous to carry out private transactions during this period of time.
She did not dare to sell goods, but she could still sell some of the extra vegetables and mountain produce that her family had planted. No one would care if she sold them discreetly.
Oh I see. It is okay to sell vegetables and mountain produce.
Qiao Qiang nodded, but the next second he was stunned again.
But we don't have any vegetables to sell?
It was only early spring now, the vegetables and crops in the fields had yet to grow and there was nothing much to eat at home. Notwithstanding that, even if it was harvest season and other families had too much to eat, his family still had to make sure that they store the vegetables for winter.
Otherwise, Mei Mei would go hungry.
Qiao Mei seemed to have expected his question and said,
I've thought about it. We can buy some beans and grow bean sprouts to sell.
Qiao Qiang blinked in confusion. He was in a daze, wondering if he had heard wrongly.
Qiao Mei lowered her head and said slowly,
When I was young, Mom used to grow bean sprouts at home. I still remember all these.
Qiao Qiang was speechless for the moment.
When Qiao Mei was five years old, her father went to the city and got hit by a car accidentally. When she was seven, her mother remarried. That family did not want her to bring a burden, so Qiao Mei was left behind with the Qiao family.
Her mother was still alive, but it was just that she had no time to care about her.
Zhao Lan got married to a worker whose family lived in a county that was tens of miles away. Later on, there was hearsay from village gossip that the person was transferred to the provincial city due to work reassignment.
These were all news from her maternal uncle's village.
After Zhao Lan remarried, she had asked someone to visit Qiao Mei in the first year. After that, there was no more news of her.
When Qiao Mei was young and living at Qiao Zhuang's house, she was really a pitiful girl. She was skinny and small, looking as if she would collapse with a gust of wind. She was extremely timid and would hide whenever she saw someone…
This was until Qiao Qiang returned to the village.
Having someone to pamper her gave her confidence and Qiao Mei became bolder in an instant. As she gained weight, her temper also grew and she bowed down to no one.
Chapter 23
Qiao Qiang's heart ached whenever he thought of Qiao Mei at seven years old.
After putting on the pity act, Qiao Mei continued,
Grandfather, when you have time, take our sweet potato and pumpkin to exchange for a few catties of beans. I'll grow the bean sprouts and we'll go exchange them for money in the city.
Okay, okay, I'll go now!
Qiao Qiang did not say anything else but stood up and walked out.
It did not matter if it was profitable or not. It was already good enough that his granddaughter, Mei Mei, had such thoughts and he would let her do whatever she wanted.
Qiao Mei did not let him go alone. With the carrying pole on her shoulder, she took half a basket of sweet potatoes and two big pumpkins and followed behind her grandfather to the village to make an exchange for green beans.
Growing beans into bean sprouts was something she was good at!
How could she not know how to do such a fun thing?
In her other life, when she was tired from work, her favorite way to relax was doing handicraft work and cooking.
The two of them walked through the entire village and went from house to house, except for Qiao Zhuang's house, and exchanged for 50 catties of green beans.
The big basket of sweet potatoes and pumpkins was not enough to exchange for the beans. In the end, Qiao Qiang promised that he would pay for the beans with his salary and everyone felt assured enough to give the beans to Qiao Mei.
After the two of them left, all the families were discussing the matter of them collecting green beans.
No one believed that Qiao Mei knew how to grow bean sprouts!
Growing bean sprouts needed skills and the temperature and humidity had to be precise. No one in the village knew how to grow them and no one was willing to waste beans on experiments.
I'm guessing that Qiao Qiang must have run out of food at home and found an excuse to exchange for beans as he was too embarrassed to tell us,
an old lady said.
Impossible, impossible! Whose family ran out of food? If they eat green beans every day, wouldn't they die of diarrhea?
the old man next to her said with a smile while smoking tobacco.
Hahaha!
Everyone around laughed.
However, I discovered something strange. That Qiao Mei doesn't seem to be as annoying as the rumors say,
another old lady said.
She smiles gently when she sees people, her eyes also seem to be smiling…
They could barely remember the Black Bear Spirit from before.
Yes, yes, yes! I was wondering just now, where did that lazy and greedy Qiao Mei go?
I'm guessing that given her grandfather is about to die, she wants to show herself and gain everyone's favor.
Sigh, this child is really pitiful. She has no parents and her only grandfather is about to leave.
How pitiful!
The people around her all agreed, and the topic quickly shifted to Qiao Mei's remarried mother.
No matter how bad Qiao Mei's temper was in the past, she did not provoke anyone.
Now that her personality had changed, she gained a lot of sympathy instead.
Qiao Mei did not think too much about it. When she got home, she quickly got busy and soaked the beans in warm water.
After soaking for two days and two nights and the beans sprouted, the beans would be moved into a dry basket and they would be ready after one week.
Of course, there were still many other things to be careful about. For example, it would be best that the bottom of the basket was covered with a layer of gauze and the top of the basket was covered with a layer of cotton cloth to block out the light.
Otherwise, the bean sprouts would turn out bitter and astringent and they would not look good as well.
One basket of bean sprouts would need six catties of beans, so when the beans sprouted, they would be able to harvest more than eighty catties of bean sprouts.
Qiao Mei believed that with her skills, she could definitely make bean sprouts that grow out looking white and fat.
Grandfather, I don't think we have enough baskets at home. If you have time, make a few more to stand by!
Qiao Mei said.
Over 50 catties of green beans could yield at least seven to eight baskets of bean sprouts. She planned to portion these green beans and sprout one basket a day and would sell each basket as she sprouted them.
When sales stabilized, she would then produce about 10 baskets a day.
Chapter 24
Anyway, she wanted to sell bean sprouts to earn more money so that she would not disgrace her status as a reborn person.
Alright!
Qiao Qiang agreed readily.
People in the village mostly knew how to weave baskets. The baskets they weaved were not difficult to make and all followed the same patterns, and would turn out both practical and sturdy.
Moreover, Qiao Qiang was an expert at weaving baskets. When he was in good health previously, many people in the village would come to him for baskets, thus there were still some basket weaving materials in the storeroom at home. Even if he made another dozen or twenty baskets, it would not be a problem.
The next day, they woke up early in the morning. After breakfast, Qiao Mei said excitedly,
I want to learn basket weaving from grandfather!
Sure!
Qiao Qiang was so happy that now Mei Mei even wanted to learn a skill from him.
Furthermore, it had been three days and Mei Mei had not changed back to her old self. It seemed that she had really changed. Qiao Qiang secretly wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes.
Basket weaving is about techniques. The first thing is to choose the right material. The willow must be soft…
Qiao Qiang started teaching and he weaved as he spoke. Very quickly, a basket was ready.
When Qiao Qiang turned around and saw the basket in Qiao Mei's hands, he froze on the spot. No matter how he looked at it, the basket in Qiao Mei's hands looked better than what he made.
The willow branches were interlocked neatly together. The woven basket looked like a piece of artwork that was very soothing to the eyes.
Qiao Mei looked at the basket in her hand but was still not satisfied. It was still not exquisite enough.
For such a fun craft like basket weaving, being a super handicraft lover, how could she not know the skill?
Not only did she know how to weave baskets, she also knew how to make containers, little animals, even bamboo dragonflies and all kinds of furniture.
Other than that, she also knew how to knit clothes, scarves and shoes.
In her other life, when she was not busy with work, she liked doing this kind of manual handicraft work which did not require thinking.
When she was doing handicraft every day, she would be especially happy.
She was so happy just now that she forgot to restrain herself and had weaved an exceptionally beautiful basket which no one would believe was made by a newbie.
Luckily, Qiao Qiang did not think too much about it. In his eyes, his granddaughter Qiao Mei was the smartest person and no matter what amazing things she did, he would only feel happier.
Look! Our Mei Mei is so smart. Her first basket is even better than grandfather's!
Qiao Qiang looked at the small basket and laughed happily. He had not felt so happy in years.
It seemed that he had never laughed so heartily ever since he came to this village…
The two of them continued weaving for a while. When they saw the sun gradually rise outside, they proceeded to Wang Wu's house and brought back four piglets.
Initially, Qiao Mei planned to buy one but Qiao Qiang said that she had to buy at least two. One needed to be handed over to the village and they would be allowed to keep the other one for their own consumption.
If they only raised one, they would have to hand it over and there would be none left for them to eat.
Grandfather also told her that this type of pig could only at most grow up to about 100 pounds. It would not grow fat enough to feed a family.
Although she still needed to lose weight, with the jade pendant, it would not affect her to eat some meat.
So, on second thought, she bought the rest of the piglets. Even if she did not eat them, she could still sell them, right?
On the way home, they passed by a neighbor's house on the corner. Qiao Qiang went in and bought a brood of baby chicks, a flock of yellow ducklings and a brood of goslings.
As the two of them returned home, there were again all kinds of discussions in the village.
These two are raising four pigs at once, what are they going to feed them with? Are they really going crazy from wanting to eat meat? Qiao Mei doesn't know any better and this Qiao Qiang doesn't even stop her?
As for the chickens, ducks, and geese, they are raising 30 of them at once. Even a big family can't cope with that many!
Chapter 25
Why do you care, it's none of your business!
If you want to look on, so be it. Why say so much, what a bunch of gossipy old women!
In the village, people raised pigs by basically letting them roam free-range on the nearby mountains. The pigs would go out to look for food during the day and return to the pigsty to sleep at night. But even so, the farmers still had to feed the pigs some concentrated feed, otherwise the pigs would not come back.
It was the same for chickens, ducks and geese. Although they were free-range animals, they still needed extra feed, otherwise they would not return home. Therefore, most people would plan the number of animals they raised based on the amount of food they had.
Qiao Qiang understood the logic, but if Mei Mei wanted to raise the animals, so be it! He would let her raise them first. Even if he could not afford it later, he could just slaughter them for food. It would not be a loss anyway.
Qiao Mei naturally also understood this rationale. Was what she lacked now food? No! What she lacked was money! Meat! And vegetables and food!
The two of them happily made their way home with the piglets in their arms. From afar, they saw three people standing at their doorstep.
There were two older women and one man. They had never seen these three people before.
When the three of them saw Qiao Mei walk over, they sized her up from head to toe with a picky gaze. Then they quickly looked away as if they were afraid of discomfort if they looked at her any longer.
And these few pairs of eyes happened to see the little piglets in the basket behind her, as well as the dozens of chattering chickens, ducks and geese in the basket in her hands.
One of the three people was a skinny old lady with a head full of white hair. Her eyes lit up and she asked in surprise,
Did your family buy this? You are raising so many at once, is there enough food left at home?
Qiao Mei did not know them so she kept quiet.
The other woman, who was well-dressed with white gloves over her hands, smiled and said,
This must be Uncle Qiao. We're from Datian Village. Let's talk inside!
Datian Village was located in the neighboring county, not far from here.
Qiao Qiang looked at her gloves with surprise.
Typically, people do not wear white gloves when working. Furthermore, the gloves are clean and the person is dressed very well. This person is most likely a matchmaker!
There is actually a matchmaker who will take the initiative to come to their family? And she brings a man along?
With this thought in mind, Qiao Qiang turned his gaze to the man beside him.
The man had a lean figure and looked to be in his thirties. There must be something wrong with him, not being married at this age!
As Qiao Qiang thought of this, his gaze was also filled with disdain. He took a glance and then looked away.
If it was three days ago, he would definitely not think this way and might even feel satisfied. After all, this man was able-bodied and looked normal…
But now, with Xia Zhe as a basis of comparison, this person was naturally unsightly and not worth a second look.
The way that Qiao Qiang looked away showed clearly that he was not satisfied. The looks on the three faces changed for the worse as well and they turned towards Qiao Mei.
Looking at his dark and fat granddaughter, he still looked down upon others as if he was any better!
Uncle Qiao, let's talk inside!
the matchmaker smiled and said.
Datian Village was quite a distance from here. They had been rushing since early in the morning and had walked for more than half the morning till midday. If they could not enter the house and get a drink, who would this look like?
Qiao Qiang was a little happy that his Mei Mei had someone coming to ask for her hand in marriage. His Mei Mei was not that bad after all… At least there was someone proposing marriage.
He said slowly,
Come in!
Everyone entered the house. The skinny old lady's eyes darted around as she looked around the courtyard, the fields and then the house.
Oh heavens, there isn't even a decent piece of furniture in this house. They're even poorer than us, it's so different from what others say!
26
But the interior of the house was quite clean and tidy. When the woman touched the stool, there was no dust on it at all. The glass was also shiny and looked very clean.
This was also different from what others said.
Qiao Mei carried the little piglets on her back and took the basket of chicks and ducklings to the courtyard. She placed the four little piglets in the pigpen and brought the chicks and ducklings into the small room at the back.
This room at the back was the Qiao family storeroom where they kept the sundries and other items.
It was still cold outside in the early spring. If the chicks and ducklings were not kept in the storeroom, they would freeze to death in the blink of an eye.
After she was done, she washed her hands and went into the house to pour water for everyone. Although her attitude was not very good, she did not seem as domineering as the rumors said.
She just seemed like an ordinary farm girl.
The white-haired woman looked at Qiao Mei with satisfaction. The lean man also seemed to look surprised.
Although Qiao Mei did not know that the woman in white gloves was a matchmaker, she could more or less guess it from the feeling she got. The feeling of being scrutinized was too strong, the only thing these people did not do was to surround her and examine her.
After all, she had gone on many blind dates in her other life.
After sitting down, Qiao Mei looked at the man in front of her. He looked to be in his thirties and had thick eyebrows, big eyes and a round face. He was frowning and there was ruthlessness in his eyes. It was obvious that he was not easy to get along with.
Furthermore, she could faintly sense a sinister aura from this man. This man was definitely not a good person.
After Qiao Mei judged the situation, she immediately wanted to send these people out the door.
What do you want?
Qiao Mei changed her previous silent stance and took the initiative to ask.
This question stunned the few of them. They did not expect her to be the first person to speak and that she even vaguely seemed like the head of the family.
Forget it, forget it. This Qiao family was different from what others said. They were so weird.
This is Wang Yong, one of the most handsome guys in our Datian Village. See how good-looking he is?
The matchmaker immediately started the process and introduced him with a smile.
After that, she was just full of praises for the man whom she said was a rare find and how it was because this man was so lucky that his wife died because she was not worthy of his fortune.
In the end, they had asked around and heard that Qiao Mei was a very fortunate person, which was why they came to visit her.
Hearing that, Qiao Mei immediately waved her hand.
Don't, don't. I'm not blessed either. Look at me, I don't have parents and I don't have a good job. You must have found the wrong person!
Qiao Mei glanced at the man.
I'm not a match for someone with such good qualities. Find someone else! I'm busy at home so I won't send you off.
Qiao Mei stood up and wanted to send them off.
The reason why this matchmaker praised this man so much was to highlight how bad she was and how this man was more than good enough for her, so that she would agree and think that she had gotten a good deal.
Match your head!
I don't want to continue chatting with you all!
Qiao Mei did not want to smile at them anymore. If you still smile after someone spat on your face, aren't you being cheap?
This would be the moment to slap their faces and let them know what was good for them.
Qiao Mei's attitude was very obvious. She did not want to marry this man at all and did not like him at all.
Wang Yong and his mother were so angry that their chests heaved.
Wang Yong stared at Qiao Mei gloomily and did not speak.
His mother opened her mouth and was about to curse.
You…
But at this moment, the sound of piglets oinking suddenly came from the courtyard. It was fresh and vigorous, like a feast of pork dishes was being placed in front of them.
Wang Yong's mother snapped out of it and pinched her own thigh. She grinned and said,
You silly girl, what do you know? It's not up to you to decide whether your life is good or not. Some people have a good life after they are born, but the rest of their lives are not good. Some people have a bad life before they get married, but they have a good life after getting married!
The way I see it, you're the type who would get lucky after you get married. I can tell at one glance that you will bring good fortune to your husband. If you marry my son, I guarantee that you'll live a comfortable life.
Chapter 27
The matchmaker looked at the eloquent old widow in front of her in surprise. She never knew that this old widow could speak so well.
Wang Yong's mother was crafty and mean and her neighbors did not like her. After a long time, they called her old widow behind her back.
Actually, she would not be unhappy even if they called her old widow to her face. After all, she felt that it was a good thing for everyone to be afraid of her.
Without waiting for Qiao Mei to speak, the old widow looked at Qiao Qiang and continued asking,
Uncle Qiao, I heard that your monthly retirement salary is 50 dollars?
During this time, everyone's salary was open information. No one was afraid of others knowing about it, so there was nothing to hide.
Qiao Qiang froze for a moment before nodding.
Yes, it's 50 dollars.
Did this mean that these people were interested in his retirement salary?
In his opinion, it was not a big deal for them to be interested in his salary. After all, it was a blind date and each party was looking for a benefit from the other party.
He glanced at his granddaughter. Perhaps only he knew how good his granddaughter was. He would not be surprised if outsiders looked down on her and only wanted his money.
After all, in the past no one even eyed his money.
The old widow's eyes lit up.
Based on 50 dollars a month, that would mean 500 to 600 dollars a year? Their family had not even saved 100 dollars over the past decades. Not only that, they still owed their village more than ten dollars every year.
The old widow looked at Qiao Mei and her eyes flashed with surprise.
This was a treasure basin. With a few hundred dollars a year to subsidize the family's expenses, even if it was only a few months, it was enough to alleviate her family's debt.
Even if she had to snatch it by force, she must get this treasure basin.
Uncle Qiao, what do you think of our family? We came here personally today to show how much we value the union between our families.
The old widow looked steadily at Qiao Qiang and said,
What about this? Let's have lunch today and consider the matter between the two of them settled. Tonight, she will return to Datian Village with us to be the Wang family daughter-in-law.
Don't worry, we Wang family will treat her well!
As long as you don't die, we won't treat her badly.
It's a few hundred dollars a year at stake. Even if they had to put the Black Bear Spirit on a pedestal, they had to get the money.
Hearing this, Qiao Qiang and Qiao Mei were stunned.
Qiao Qiang did not expect that this granddaughter, whom he had been worried about in the past, would be able to get married so quickly.
And Qiao Mei really did not expect it at all. In the matter of a few days, she was once again asked for her hand in marriage. This romance luck was so much better than in her other life.
What a surprise!
You guys are too late. My granddaughter is already engaged to someone else,
Qiao Qiang suddenly said.
Everyone in the room was stunned. She was engaged?
Engaged to which family?
the old widow hurriedly asked.
You don't have to worry about that,
Qiao Qiang replied.
Given that Xia Zhe was not back yet, he did not dare to be too open about it.
On the other hand, the old widow misunderstood it. She felt that Qiao Qiang was just making excuses, how could he look down on her son just like that?
The old widow glared at Qiao Mei fiercely and felt indignant. How ungrateful of her. Given her dark and fat appearance, she still wanted to act all high and mighty?
Oh grandfather of hers, if there's anything you're not satisfied about, just say it.
Other than money, their family could agree to anything.
My Mei Mei really already has in-laws, You will know when they get engaged in a while.
Qiao Qiang stood up and prepared to send the guests off.
Both of their attitudes were firm.
After what he said, the people in the room felt they had to maintain some self-respect. Just as the old widow was about to say something, the matchmaker and Wang Yong stood up and quickly walked out.
The old widow had no choice but to follow.
Chapter 28
Qiao Mei took a few perfunctory steps to send them off. Before they even left the courtyard, she went back to prepare dinner.
She took out the meat that her grandfather had bought a few days ago to prepare stewed meat tonight. It had already been a few days and it would spoil if they did not eat it soon.
The old widow, who had just walked out of the courtyard, turned around and saw her carrying half a catty of meat and throwing it into the pot. Her heart immediately ached.
Isn't this too extravagant?
This big piece of meat looks to be half a catty, right? If you cut it two or three pieces at a time, you can have meat for a month. Won't that be great? This Qiao Mei is really too wasteful! I have to teach her!
The matchmaker rolled her eyes and stopped her.
She hasn't even entered your house yet. It has nothing to do with you, don't go asking for a snub.
It would be really embarrassing to let this old widow go in and sprout nonsense. The marriage was not even cast in stone yet, so why did you care about how others ate meat?
This was too embarrassing.
The Wang family was indeed very poor. They did not have the money to buy piglets, even if they did, they did not have any food to feed them. Therefore, it had been a long time since they had eaten any meat.
Wang Yong was also craving for it, but he cared about his reputation, so he simply turned his head to avoid looking at the pork.
This Qiao Qiang doted on his granddaughter so much that he was willing to spend all his money on her. So this part of the rumors was true.
Besides, one could tell just by looking at Qiao Mei's figure.
The old widow turned her head back three times with every step she took. She kept muttering,
Too wasteful, this Qiao Mei is too wasteful!
Qiao Mei, we want her.
However, there was nothing they could do if the Qiao family refused to give in and was unwilling to let her marry into their family. It was really worrying.
Yong Yong, what do you think we should do now?
As she turned her head to look back, she asked Wang Yong. In her heart, Wang Yong was the one who held absolute power in the family.
Wang Yong followed her gaze and turned his head to look at the courtyard behind him. They did not walk fast and by now, the fragrance of pork had already wafted out from the courtyard, making him gulp.
If we can't do it today, then we come back tomorrow!
he said with a vicious look in his eyes.
A fat woman cannot be so particular. If they don't succeed, they will try again. If a soft approach cannot do it, they will do it by force. There will be a way to make this fat woman relent.
Besides, he had experience in hitting a woman in such a manner that she would suffer but be unable to talk about it.
Seeing how determined her son was, the old widow finally felt relieved and went home.
…
Qiao Mei did not take the marriage proposal to heart and went up the mountain again after dinner.
Now that the little piglets had been bought, she had to go up the mountain to get some food for them. The rice in the rice jar at home was not even enough for her grandfather and her. There was simply no food for the piglets!
Qiao Mei shouldered the carrying pole and went up the mountain along the village road. What she did not expect was that along the way, there were villagers who took the initiative to talk to her.
Mei Mei, are you going up the mountain now?
The auntie smiled and greeted her normally. Qiao Mei smiled and replied,
Yes, Auntie Sun. I'm going up the mountain to find some food for the pigs, otherwise the little piglets will go hungry.
Going to the hot spring again?
Auntie Sun continued to ask.
Yes!
There was no other place to go except that area. The grass nearby had only just sprouted, and it was not even enough to fill two shovelfuls.
Auntie Sun seemed to want to say something when she heard that, but she only smiled and kept quiet.
Qiao Mei felt that it seemed a little strange.
But when she met the second person who took the initiative to talk to her, she understood what was happening.
Qiao Mei, are you going up the mountain to the hot spring again?
This auntie was more straightforward. Without waiting for Qiao Mei's reply, she continued,
If you can still find pumpkins, can you come back and exchange them with my family? Other than green beans, my family also has red beans, soybeans and other things. If not, there's also some rice and potatoes, depending on what you want.
The auntie had stewed the pumpkin last night. The fragrant aroma filled the air when it was cooked, making her children cry out in anticipation, and it tasted a hundred times better than meat.
She would have gone to look for the pumpkins herself if not for the fact that the place at the back of the mountain was too far away from the village. It would take half a day to travel back and forth, in turn delaying her work in the village.
When Qiao Mei heard this, her eyes lit up. She was only just worried that there was not enough food at home.
Chapter 29
Sure, if I see another pumpkin, I'll bring it back to exchange with you.
Good, good!
Upon hearing this answer, the woman gave a satisfied smile. Who said Qiao Mei was domineering? Why did she feel that Qiao Mei was so nice?
Qiao Mei smiled and continued up the mountain.
It was such a small matter that could improve one's life and make others happy. That makes it an even better thing.
Otherwise, when the children in her womb grew up, they would not get help if they got bullied by others in the village.
Even if it was only for this, she must build up good relationships with the villagers.
She quickened her pace and followed the path she had taken yesterday. It only took her about two hours to reach the hot spring, but she ran into a few children who were preparing to make their way back.
Yesterday, she had exchanged pumpkins for green beans. In the village, after the pumpkins were cooked, all the children in the various families were craving for more. Today, the adults needed to work during the day, but the children did not, so they came here together to look for pumpkins.
However, they did not find anything and only managed to pick some wild fruits.
They were stunned for a moment when they saw Qiao Mei. Without saying anything, they lowered their heads and prepared to make a run for it.
Although they had never directly clashed with Qiao Mei, almost all of their brothers and sisters had fought with Qiao Mei before, so they knew how scary Qiao Mei was.
Seeing the children rushing past, Qiao Mei smiled. It would be more convenient for her to pick fruits if they left.
After walking around the hot spring, she realized that the surroundings had been ravaged by the children. Other than weeds and reeds, there were not even any edible wild vegetables left.
After all, the hot spring area was actually very small.
She was not that concerned about it. She pried open a dense patch of reeds with her hand, and after several twists and turns, found a thin and small wild chestnut among the trees.
In just three to four minutes, she completed a round of energy exchange and wild chestnuts had fallen all over the ground.
Qiao Mei happily picked up two baskets of chestnuts from the ground. Chestnuts were most suitable for pregnant women as they contained plenty of folic acid which could prevent pregnant women from premature labor.
Now that she was pregnant with twins, she needed to eat more of these.
The original owner of the body had given birth prematurely, so she had to pay more attention to this.
By the time Qiao Mei returned to the village, the sky was already dark. Smoke rose from the chimney of every house, and every house was filled with warm light. As she got closer, a few barks could be heard.
The entire setting was like a relaxing village scene.
Qiao Mei followed the path and looked at the front door of her own house. She immediately saw Qiao Qiang who was looking forward to her return. Her uneasy heart instantly calmed down and she felt a sense of the warmth of home.
Grandfather, I'm back!
Qiao Mei smiled and quickly walked over, her voice sweet and soft.
Qiao Qiang welcomed her with a smile.
The two of them happily walked into the house and she put down the baskets. It was under the light from the house that Qiao Qiang could now see what was inside the baskets.
You picked up so many chestnuts, did you take all the squirrels' winter rations?
These chestnuts looked clean and fresh. They were definitely not picked up from the grass.
If these chestnuts were not those hidden away by squirrels, they would already have rotted in the ground when the winter ended and the ice and snow had melted. Therefore, these must have been hidden by squirrels to get through the winter.
That's right, the squirrels probably won't be able to find these chestnuts anymore. The whole tree hole full of chestnuts is now mine,
Qiao Mei said with a smile.
Hahahaha! Our Mei Mei is indeed luckier than others!
Qiao Qiang laughed happily.
Qiao Mei gently washed the chestnuts and immediately put them over the steamer.
Actually, it would be better to fry the chestnuts. It would be even more fragrant if she could stew it with chicken but for now, she had no choice but to just steam them on their own.
Chapter 30
Fortunately, the chestnuts were delicious on their own. Given that they had absorbed the energy from the jade pendant, they emitted a tempting aroma not long after they were steamed in the pot for a while.
The pair of grandfather and granddaughter finished their meal in satisfaction. Qiao Mei then filled a big bowl with chestnuts and placed it in the basket, preparing to go out.
Where are you going?
Qiao Qiang asked curiously.
Sending it to Auntie Dong at the end of the village. We can exchange for some rice with her family,
Qiao Mei replied.
Qiao Qiang was stunned and looked at Qiao Mei in disbelief.
His Mei Mei had really changed. Not only had she learned how to do household chores and cook well, but she had also become tactful in handling matters. It was as if she had been blessed by Buddha.
No, perhaps she had been encouraged by that kid, Xia Zhe… I don't even know when that kid would return.
…
At this moment, Xia Zhe frowned as he thought about his next mission. This mission was a little complicated and did not seem to be able to be completed within a month.
He thought for a while and ran to his office to make a call.
Commissar, I have something to report!
What is it?
A voice came from the other end of the phone.
Please help me put up a report on my marriage plans!
Xia Zhe said immediately. Soldiers had to put in an application if they had plans to get married.
…
The other end of the phone went silent.
Please help me to put up a report on my marriage plans!
Xia Zhe repeated in a louder voice.
Okay, okay, okay. I got it.
The man on the other end of the phone covered his ears before he continued to ask,
Which girl are you going to get married to? Is she from Zhang Lao Da's family or Commissar Ma's family? Or is it the English teacher from the university that your father introduced to you?
Xia Zhe was handsome, had a good family background and a good character. Ever since he became an adult, people had almost knocked down his family door trying to introduce girlfriends to him one after another.
Especially in the early few years, there were so many people who came round.
In the past few years though, there were not many people because the earlier group did not succeed. Everyone felt that the Xia family had very high standards, so it dissuaded those ladies who were from modest families.
It was also precisely because of this that two ladies with good family backgrounds had set their sights on this good catch, Xia Zhe. The two families were currently fighting fiercely over him, and it was said that the two ladies had even physically fought several times over this matter.
The people around them were all caught up in the drama to see which family would manage to win Xia Zhe over, Commissar Qin included. He did not expect that the choice of the winning marriage candidate was being made now.
Quick, tell me, which family is she from?!
The commissar asked curiously.
Xia Zhe stopped for a moment and said,
It's the granddaughter of my grandfather's old comrade. The comrade had saved his life back then. Her name is Qiao Mei.
What?
The commissar thought that the phone signal was not good so he had not heard it clearly.
Grandfather's old comrade's granddaughter, her name is Qiao Mei!
Xia Zhe repeated loudly again,
Take down the address now, her home is at… Don't go to the wrong place.
He was not very formal with his words. After all, this commissar was his uncle who had watched him grow up. Hence, he had informed this uncle first without regard for family hierarchy.
Ah? Oh, oh, oh… I'll take it down…
Qin Dong immediately took out a pen and paper and started to write down the address. He paused for a while and suddenly asked,
What's going on? What about the ladies from the two families?
Xia Zhe was silent for a moment before he continued,
I don't think the Zhang and Ma families have a good way of doing things. We're not on the same side, so it's better not to be involved with each other in the future.
His words were a little vague, but in reality, what he was thinking was that those two families would be finished sooner or later because of their way of doing things.