Da Jiang listened quietly as Qi Zhenzhen finished speaking, then smiled with pursed lips, "Miss, we will persevere. For Xiao He and me, this is not a difficult matter."
Da Jiang was not boasting.
Running was difficult, but it was in no way more difficult than their previous life.
The three walked back slowly. The sky had already brightened, and from afar, wisps of cooking smoke curled up from the village, accompanied by the occasional crowing of chickens.
Upon returning home, Qi Zhenzhen drew hot water to wash up and then began preparing breakfast.
Congee, boiled eggs, steamed flower rolls, and a plate of shredded pickled vegetables drizzled with sesame oil. Simple, yet perfect for a morning meal.
By the time the food was ready, Yun Shi had also tidied herself up. The four sat down at the dining table to eat.
Yun Shi occasionally handed Da Jiang a flower roll and gave Xiao He a boiled egg. She showed great care for them, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.
Qi Zhenzhen had initially worried that Yun Shi might not accept the two, but now she realized she had worried unnecessarily.
After the meal, Da Jiang and Xiao He eagerly cleared the bowls and chopsticks. Yun Shi, having nothing else to do, returned to her room to do embroidery.
Qi Zhenzhen led Da Jiang and Xiao He to the Song family's old residence.
On the way, they encountered a woman they didn't know very well. The woman looked at Qi Zhenzhen with ill intentions. Qi Zhenzhen was puzzled; she didn't remember offending her. Where did the hatred in her eyes come from? Fortunately, the woman only glared at Qi Zhenzhen with ill will and made no other moves.
The gate of the Song family's old residence was open. Uncle Qian was splitting bamboo strips, and by his side sat the village head, Song Lizheng.
"Grandpa Lizheng, Uncle Qian," Qi Zhenzhen greeted them with a smile.
"Miss Qi," Uncle Qian put down his work and stood up.
Out of respect, Uncle Qian was very polite to Qi Zhenzhen.
She introduced Da Jiang and Xiao He to Uncle Qian, "Uncle Qian, if you have any tasks to be done in the future, you can assign them to these two. Now that I'm back, you don't need to come over for meals three times a day."
Last night, Yun Shi had told Qi Zhenzhen that Uncle Qian had not come over for dinner but had instead taken some rice, flour, and meat and vegetables to cook for himself, likely out of consideration for Qi Zhenzhen's absence.
"Alright, Old Brother Song was just saying how good Miss Qi's cooking is. I can't miss this opportunity," Uncle Qian did not refuse.
"The weather has warmed up. Should we start preparing the grafted branches?" Qi Zhenzhen asked.
Uncle Qian nodded, "I've already sent word to the general store, and they will contact the estate. It should be within these few days. Don't worry, nothing will be delayed. I've been to the apricot grove these days and saw that the spacing between the apricot trees is too small, which is not conducive to the growth of the fruit trees. Some need to be removed. Also, fertilizer needs to be supplemented, especially after grafting. If there isn't enough fertilizer, flowering and fruiting will be delayed by several years, and the apricots will not be large."
Removing trees was manual labor. The apricot grove was forty mu, and with fewer people, the work could not be done.
"Grandpa Lizheng, could you gather a few strong laborers? Meals will be provided, and wages will be paid," Qi Zhenzhen asked Song Lizheng with a smile.
This was not a difficult matter. Field work had not yet begun, and the young, strong men in the village were idle. With meals and wages provided, there was no need for him to intervene; if the Qi family simply announced it, many people would come. The young girl asking him for help was a gesture of goodwill.
Song Lizheng nodded, "Alright, I'll take care of this."
They got to work immediately. In less than fifteen minutes, Song Lizheng had gathered the people, and they headed to the wild apricot grove.
"Uncle Qian, please save the wild apricot trees that are removed for me. Tell them not to drag them back to burn for firewood; I have a use for them," Qi Zhenzhen said softly to Uncle Qian as she followed and heard someone discussing dragging the trees home for firewood after the work was done.
"Alright, I'll inform everyone in a moment."
Leaving Da Jiang and Xiao He to help, Qi Zhenzhen went home to prepare the meals.
Yu Shi and Song Mingyue had already arrived. A basin of cabbage had been chopped, and a pile of radishes had been prepared.
"There are ten people coming to help. Including Uncle Qian, Da Jiang, Xiao He, and us, that makes eighteen people. We'll need to steam two large basins of rice and stew two large basins of vegetables. There's no need to buy meat; the dried meat from your backyard is perfect for stewing. The meals will be filling, and there's no need to make them exquisite. As long as there's enough oil and flavor, that's all that matters. You don't need to worry about it; I'll handle it myself," Yu Shi arranged everything perfectly.
There was indeed nothing she could help with, so Qi Zhenzhen was pulled into the house by Song Mingyue.
"Zhenzhen, my cousin came to our house the day after you went to the county town last time," Song Mingyue said mysteriously. "During the day, he goes to town with my cousin, and at night, he stays at my house."
"Have you met him privately?"
Song Mingyue shook her head, "We only met when he first arrived, and then we met this morning. Weren't my mother and I staying at your house for the past two days?"
"Are you regretting not having the chance to spend time with your cousin?" Qi Zhenzhen teased Song Mingyue.
Song Mingyue gave her a glare and pouted, "It's all because of what you told me. I always feel awkward. I used to think he was a good person, but now when I see him, I think, if I were to marry into the Ge family and had some conflict with my aunt, would he side with my aunt? Thinking about it, I just, I just..."
"So you don't have any thoughts about your cousin anymore?"
Song Mingyue nodded, "That's right."
Qi Zhenzhen raised her hand, "This, what I said might not necessarily happen. It's possible that your cousin really likes you, and then your aunt would compromise and treat you well too?"
Song Mingyue's face fell, "That's probably impossible. It's only been a few days, and my aunt has sent two letters asking my mother how her kitchen studies are going. My cousin even said this morning that he wanted to eat the food I made! Isn't he indirectly testing my cooking skills? I just don't like cooking, and I can't learn it, what can I do!"
Seeing her friend so distressed, Qi Zhenzhen had to comfort her. "Worrying about it now is useless. I'll teach you a method: just try your best to learn, don't complain about the hardship, and every time you go into the kitchen, let your mother see it. It's best if you also get a small injury. The important thing is that even if you get injured, you must persevere."
Song Mingyue didn't understand Qi Zhenzhen's meaning, "I'm not going to inflict suffering on myself."
"You silly girl, that's your own mother, the mother who doted on you since you were little. Wouldn't she feel sorry for you? If you try your best, can't learn, and always come back with injuries, she'll see it and her heart will ache. In a few days, she won't bear to have you cook, and she'll even help you mediate with your aunt," Qi Zhenzhen explained. "This is a kind of 'bitter trick'."
Song Mingyue's eyes lit up, "Zhenzhen, how are you so smart? How did I not think of such a method? If my aunt keeps harping on this matter, my mother will definitely be annoyed too..."
Precisely. If the Ge family's aunt remained unyielding, Yu Shi would also carefully consider whether her own daughter marrying into the Ge family was truly suitable.