Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Meals
When Gu Xiaoqing returned home after school in the afternoon, there wasn’t much left of their yard. The debris had been cleaned up completely, and since it was a major project, many men from the village were out doing some labor to earn pocket money since farming work is not busy in early spring.
At this time, the team was organized well, and the work progress was fast. Within a day’s efforts, the yard of Gu Ruhai’s house had been dug up, with the old earth walls pushed down and carted off to the hillside at the end of the village, where debris from many homes has accumulated, forming a makeshift garbage dump, but without household waste.
The original yard now has foundations dug half a meter deep.
But the depth wasn’t sufficient yet, so the workers were still there digging.
Back then, foundations were dug manually, without any machinery like excavators, relying completely on human resources.
However, the quality was guaranteed to be solid.
Everything was done by hand, carrying and transporting materials.
Gu Xiaoqing felt sentimental, realizing that his family’s fortunes had suddenly turned.
The hardships they had previously endured seemed to disappear, replaced by prospects of happiness.
Good days indeed.
The earthy, slightly bitter scent of the soil was sweet to the heart.
Gu Xiaoqing walked back to the shabby cave dwelling of the team.
Grandma was at the entrance of the cave, placing steamed buns into a large porcelain basin, freshly out of the steamer. As the days grew longer, workers’ meal times were somewhat delayed to allow more work to be done since payment was not calculated by the day.
The amount was fixed: finish the work, and then get paid, a tradition among villagers, ensuring no one shirked their duties.
Everyone was honest, wanting to finish early to get their wages and move on to the next task.
Gu Xiaoqing ran over, giving Grandma Li Zhaodi a sweet hug, saying, "Grandma, I’m here! I missed you and Grandpa."
These words immediately pleased Li Zhaodi, who was fond of Gu Xiaoqing.
With a kind smile, she brushed aside Gu Xiaoqing’s hands, "Go wash your hands, you little rascal, always here to sweet-talk your grandma."
Gu Xiaoqing laughed, ran inside the cave to drop off his bag, washed his hands, and came out to help Li Zhaodi pick up the buns.
Li Xuemei had already chopped the cabbage.
Preparing ingredients for a large pot of cabbage, pork, and noodle stew—a dish with both meat and vegetables, considered a good meal, along with the two-made flour buns, a decent treat for the village’s contractor team.
There was also a large pot of cornmeal porridge.
Only the cooking remained.
Gu Xiaoqing helped Li Zhaodi pick up the buns, covered the large basin with a cloth, placed it aside, and went to help Li Xuemei with the cooking.
The dishes cooked by Gu Xiaoqing’s hands were acknowledged as the tastiest.
Even though Li Xuemei followed the same steps as Gu Xiaoqing, the taste turned out different.
In the large wok, half a ladle of pork fat was simmered with chopped green onions and ginger, followed by slices of pork belly, quickly stir-fried with a spatula, rendering the pork fat, then adding soy sauce for color along with other seasonings, continuously stir-frying.
Once the aroma of pork belly fully emerged, nearly half-cooked, the cabbage was thrown in, evenly stirring, then added chopped noodles segments, pouring the remaining broth from yesterday’s bone soup, cover the pot, waiting for it to be ready.
Li Xuemei had become a helper for the fires.
Very soon, the pot was finished, served into large basins lent by villagers for communal events.
In return, a token of gratitude or small payment was given, considered rental fees.
Li Xuemei and Li Zhaodi carried the basins together with Gu Xiaoqing and Gu Xiaojie, delivering them for the workers’ meal.
They kept some portions enough for their own family meal.
Contractor Feng Zhihai, seeing Li Xuemei and Li Zhaodi, politely called out to the workers, "Time to eat! Quickly help out, don’t let the elderly get tired."
The crowd responded laughingly, stopping their work, and came over to take the basin from Li Zhaodi’s hands.
The workers ate without fuss, each taking a bowl, scooping out a ladle of stew, grabbing a couple of buns, squatting by the side of the foundation to start eating.
Those with large appetites could finish a bowl and still go back for another two buns and half a bowl of the stew.
The labor was intensive; men naturally ate more. Plus, back in the ’80s, many families weren’t wealthy, and meals lacked richness, making them consume more dry food.
Nearby, the contractor Feng Zhihai praised the old woman while eating, "Auntie, your culinary skills are unrivaled! Among these ten miles, we’ve had meals from many places, but none as hearty and generous as yours."
Praising with a thumbs-up, this was the highest compliment for the meals from Gu Ruhai’s home.
Nowadays, when building houses for others, meals are provided, but most were not as generous with meat and vegetables, typically offering cabbage and noodles as good fare, while some stingy ones only offered pickles.
The two-made flour buns were something well-to-do families could afford; others considered cornmeal buns good enough, while even black flour buns were served by some.
Therefore, the meals from Gu Ruhai’s home genuinely deserved Feng Zhihai’s praises; they were sincere.
This family was kind-hearted.
After the hearty lunch, workers exerted extra energy with renewed vigor, being farmers and feeling the need to repay this kindness with hard work, performing exceptionally well in the afternoon.
Feng Zhihai understood clearly, expecting the evening meal to be less impressive than lunch, as many families only offered plain meals at night, occasionally with some bread: yet they found the same meal as lunch awaiting them.
The workers’ hearts couldn’t help but feel warm; they realized this family was genuinely kind.
Feng Zhihai considered holding a meeting with the workers that evening to discuss this, reminding them not to take advantage of such a generous family, thereby ruining their own reputation.
He was also determined to work hard.
Li Qinghai didn’t join in the meal; he emerged from the pit of the foundation, seeing Feng Zhihai and the workers eating. Feng Zhihai invited the old man to eat.
Li Qinghai waved his hand, politely declined the offer.
Today, Feng Zhihai was incredibly impressed by Li Qinghai; despite his age, the old man understood everything well.
Inside and out, he was knowledgeable, clearly a skilled hand from the past, knowing all aspects of the work.
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