Who would hide something delicious instead of secretly enjoying it?
Everyone does the same thing, so there’s no place for anyone to blame others. It’s enough to be aware of it and not to expose it because it would be embarrassing if it were unveiled.
Feng Qingxue was sitting in the shade of a tree, surrounded by a group of children and Wang Jiao.
Jiang He and others had a good relationship with Guan Cheng and Guan Yu and brought over the mixed grain steamed buns made by a few girls, like Zhang Erya, for them to share. They chatted happily, their faces lit up with bright smiles.
As Wang Zhengguo had said, after the busy farming season they all would receive their rations, allocated as per the standards of the Wanglou Brigade.
The food they were eating now was a combination of what Chen Ming had procured, some begged from outside, and some that Wang Zhengguo had advanced to them because they had done a lot of farming work during the summer. Added to this was Feng Qingxue’s private support. Although it was all coarse grain, it was enough to fill their stomachs and give them energy to work and earn points.
In the spring and summer seasons alone, they had earned many points just by cutting grass to feed the livestock.
Five pounds of grass earned one point.
By late autumn or early winter, Wang Zhengguo promised their thatched hut would be built. They would officially be part of the Wanglou Brigade with a home of their own and live here forever.
"Auntie Xue, the pickles you made are so delicious! I can eat them every day!" Feng Qingxue shared her canned pickles with several children. Knowing that they didn’t have any salt to make their own pickles, she had been preparing a can for them every day. The pickles were particularly delicious to Jiang He.
Feng Qingxue pursed her lips and smiled, "If it’s tasty, eat more of it. I’ve grown a lot of mustard and greens in my reserved field this year. I’ll pickle extra pots of them in autumn and winter and save a couple of vats for you."
"Thank you, Auntie Xue!" The children said in unison.
Wang Jiao said, "Xiaoxue, I want some too."
Indeed, the pickles made by Feng Qingxue were exceptionally delicious, which was why she always brought her own staple food to share with Feng Qingxue these days.
Although the pickles were all the same, Feng Qingxue’s were different. They were so irresistible that you couldn’t help but keep eating them.
To be precise, when Feng Qingxue made pickles, she was generous with her condiments. She used slices of ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, oil, salt, chili, soy sauce and other seasonings. Naturally, the pickles were spicy and delicious.
"Okay, when you’re ready to leave, I’ll give you a vat of pickles!", Feng Qingxue laughed.
Wang Jiao sneered at her, then lowered her head and picked up a piece of pickles with chopsticks, rolling it into her sweet potato pancake.
Just as the two were laughing and talking, someone came running to find Feng Qingxue, "Lu Jiang’s wife, come with me quickly!"
"What’s the matter, sister-in-law?" Seeing that it was Jin Cuihua who came looking for her, Feng Qingxue stood up. Jin Cuihua was the woman who had shown her the way when she first came to find Wang Zhengguo. She was also Wang Zhengguo’s cousin’s wife.
Jin Cuihua pulled Feng Qingxue to the direction she came from, "Xiuying was peeling cornstalks in the field and suddenly she went into labor. After asking, I found out that she had been holding it back all day because of the work points. It’s impossible to find a midwife now. Our brigade’s midwife is in the third team. Their fields are in the south and ours are in the northwest. The distance is several miles. It’s too late to go for her."