Chapter 011.
Listening to Servant Huai Ming’s arrangement, Zhen Zhen gathered her heart and went to do her homework after eating.
Instead of watching her from the side, Squire Huai Ming went out.
He went next door to find Li Shuang to get the things that Jenny had bought.
Li Shuang carried the bag to him, and then handed him an envelope, “This bag is full of things bought for your little cotton, in the envelope is the list and the rest of the money ticket, what things were bought, how much each thing cost, I listed them all out, you take it back to the pair.”
Servant Huai Ming took the bag and envelope, and said to Li Shuang, “Sorry for the trouble, but when we have time, Zhen Zhen and I will invite your family out for dinner.”
Li Shuang didn’t like to bother about this kind of thing: “This is a small matter, no need.”
***
Under the desk lamp next door.
Zhen Zhen straightened her back and wrote carefully.
While writing she was also reciting the letters silently in her mouth.
When Servant Huai Ming came back from outside, Zhen Zhen had only reached the “i”.
When Zhen Zhen heard the commotion, she raised her head and watched him enter the room, and just as she was about to open her mouth to greet him, Shui Huai Ming said, “Don’t be distracted, don’t worry about me, continue.”
Zhen Zhen had to swallow her words of greeting again.
Lowering her head, she pinched her pencil and continued to write carefully.
Without another word, Servant Huai Ming sat down on the chair next to Zhen Zhen and pulled out a book from the pile in front of him.
He opened the book and looked at it earnestly, making no sound other than the sound of turning the pages.
There was naturally pressure on Jen to sit next to him and write.
So she tensed her nerves and wrote more and more carefully, fearing that Shui Huaiming would criticize her.
After she finished writing all six letters, Zhen Zhen brought her book to Shui Huaiming.
Shi Huaiming put down the book in his hand and took Zhen Zhen’s notebook and flipped through it.
After flipping through it, he said, “Not bad, have you memorized all the letters?”
Zhen Zhen wasn’t too sure, “I think so.”
Servant Huai Ming closed the textbook on the table and returned the book to Zhen Zhen, “Mimeograph it and see.”
Zhen Zhen’s state was like that of an elementary school student who had just started school.
She moved the book in front of her, tensed her face, turned to a new page, and under Shi Huai Ming’s gaze, she wrote very slowly, finishing the six letters one by one.
When he finished writing, he took his hand away and carefully asked Servant Huai Ming, “Is it okay?”
Servant Huai Ming saw it when he was writing, this would nod his head, “It’s okay, it’s too late today, let’s stop here.”
Hearing this, Zhen Zhen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
With today’s study task completed, she wouldn’t have to stay in Servant Huai Ming’s room.
Zhen Zhen closed her book and put down her pencil to get up, “Then I’ll go ahead and get ready for bed.”
Not waiting for Zhen Zhen to walk out the door of her room, Servant Huai Ming called out to her again, “Wait.”
Zhen Zhen stopped her steps and turned back, “Is there …… anything else?”
Squire Huai Ming didn’t say anything and stood up from the writing table.
He went out and headed for the kitchen, so Zhen Zhen followed him there.
When he arrived at the kitchen, Shui Huai Ming said to Zhen Zhen, “I’ve bought all the rice and noodles you wanted, as well as oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar that I could buy for you. As for the vegetables, fruits, pork and mutton, just take the money and tickets to the grocery store when you need them. There’s a food store right outside the school, so it’s easy to buy.”
Mentioning cooking and cooking Zhen Zhen’s heart was energized and she nodded, “Okay.”
She looked around, “But how do I burn it?”
This was the reason why Servant Huai Ming brought her to the kitchen.
He took Zhen Zhen to the stove and said to Zhen Zhen, “In the city nowadays, they all use briquette stoves to cook their food, not clay stoves. I’ve put some scrap newspapers and short pieces of firewood in the bottom of the stove, so use those to light the fire first.”
Taking a match and rubbing one, he started a fire in the stove.
Waiting for the fire to burn a little brighter, he used the tongs to hold a briquette and put it into the stove, “Use the fire below to light this briquette, and when this briquette burns up, then add a new briquette on top of it.”
Jen listened and watched attentively.
After watching the briquettes burn successfully, Shui Huaiming added new briquettes to the top one after another.
After adding the briquettes, he put down the iron tongs to catch the water, and put the large aluminum pot, which was half full of water, on top of the coal stove.
The stove was then fired up.
Serving Huai Ming handled the stove door again, “When you don’t use it, seal the door a little smaller like this, save a small fire, this water will be hot by morning, you can use it directly to wash, so you don’t have to go to the hot water.”
Burning fires and cooking these were what Zhen Zhen was best at.
She felt she had learned and nodded at Serving Huai Ming, “I know.”
Servant Huai Ming went to open the window a bit and continued, “If the stove is burning at night, it’s best to leave the window cracked, otherwise it’s very possible to be poisoned in the absence of ventilation.”
Zhen Zhen is slightly shocked, “Burning this will still poison you?”
Servant Huai Ming nodded, “So it’s better to pay attention.”
Zhen Zhen memorized all of this and thought to herself that living in the city can be really hard.
After Shi Huai Ming finished teaching her, he said to Zhen Zhen, “If you want to do it, do it for a while, if you don’t want to do it, go to the cafeteria to get food to eat, or just go to the cafeteria to eat. Right now your main focus still has to be on your studies, you can’t be too distracted.”
Zhen Zhen put on an attitude, “I know, it won’t affect my studies.”
Servant Huai Ming had nothing else to explain and called out to Zhen Zhen, “Go wash up and go to bed early.”
Zhen Zhen didn’t delay and grabbed the time to go wash up.
But when she returned to the bedroom after washing, she didn’t go to sleep immediately.
The things that she and Li Shuang had bought at the department store today were all brought back by Squire Huai Ming, and they were all placed on her desk.
Zhen Zhen sat at the table and pondered over these things.
Everything looked new to her, so she picked up each item and studied it.
Taking out a sanitary belt from the tiny yellow paper bag, looking at the shape of the belt and remembering what Li Shuang had told her, Zhen Zhen was embarrassed and put the belt back into the yellow paper bag.
After looking at the other things were put away in the drawer, there is still a bottle of snow cream left on the table.
Zhen Zhen picked up the snow cream and carefully unscrewed the top cap, then brought it to her nose and smelled it.
As Li Shuang said, it really smells good.
When I smelled this flavor, my mood became fragrant with it.
Zhen Zhen looked at the white snowflake cream in the bottle, a little reluctant to use.
After gazing at it for a while, she took a deep breath and stretched out her finger to rub a small bit out of it.
She looked in the mirror and rubbed this little bit of snowflake cream on her face, slowly spreading it out.
After wiping her face and her hands smelled good, Zhen Zhen wiped her two hands again with her palms wrapped around the back of her hands.
Because she was in the countryside, most of the time is to go to the market stalls to sell things, go to the field to do farm work time is not much, so her two hands are not so rough.
Now that they were scented, they were just fragrant and soft.
After rubbing the snowflake cream, Zhen Zhen was in a good mood.
She screwed up the snow cream and put it away in a drawer as well.
To the bed to lie down and pull the light, lying on the bed slowly blinking, recalling the things experienced this day, in a trance, there is a kind of feeling in a beautiful dream, it is really not real very much.
Zhen Zhen fell asleep in the unreal feeling.
When she fell asleep, there was nothing else in her dream, it was all the things she bought at the department store today.
When she woke up in the morning, there were still shadows floating around in her head.
After waking up, Zhen Zhen put on her clothes and opened the door to her room, just in time to bump into Shi Huai Ming going out.
Servant Huai Ming told her, “I’m going to train now, and I’ll be back for breakfast afterward.”
Zhen Zhen responded, “What do you want to eat, Third Brother? I’ll make it for you.”
Servant Huai Ming continued to walk outside, “There’s only rice and noodles at home, I’m afraid I can’t make anything, it’s better to go to the cafeteria to fight, can you find your way to the cafeteria now?”
Zhen Zhen nodded, “I can find it, I’ve memorized it all.”
Servant Huai Ming reaches out and opens the door, “Okay, then I’ll go ahead and train, the food stamps are in the drawer at the very back of my writing desk, and the key is under the padded cloth on the writing desk.”
Zhen Zhen answered and watched as Squire Huai Ming went out the door and brought it with him.
She turned around and went to the kitchen, pouring hot water from the aluminum pot into the kettle, then carried the kettle to wash up.
After washing up, she went to Shi Huai Ming’s room.
Zhen Zhen found the key under the padded cloth of the writing table and opened the drawer that Shui Huai Ming had mentioned, only to see that all locked inside were money and tickets.
Zhen Zhen recognized the appearance of food stamps, took the food stamps and locked the drawer, and put the key back to its original position.
Food stamps in the pocket out the door, just opened the door to go out, just happened to bump into the same just out of Li Shuang.
Li Shuang mouth fast first greeted: “small cotton, to the cafeteria to fight ah?”
Zhen Zhen smiled and said, “Yes, sister-in-law you?”
Li Shuang was quick, “Me too, together.”
The two people went to the cafeteria side by side.
Li Shuang suddenly came to Zhen Zhen’s face and smelled her.
After sniffing her, she said, “You’ve used the snow cream, haven’t you?”
Zhen Zhen was a little embarrassed by her smell, “Uh, used it.”
Li Shuang suddenly laughed again, looking at Zhen Zhen meaningfully asked, “Serving Huai Ming like it?”
This ……
Zhen Zhen choked on the words did not make a sound to answer.
Li Shuang saw her ear tip red, smiled more open some said: “Ouch, you are still shy on the, between husband and wife is not that thing, are over, what is embarrassed to say, we say quietly, and did not let people hear.”
Other words Zhen Zhen can talk to Li Shuang a few words.
The only thing that she can’t do is to talk to her husband and wife.
Li Shuang saw Zhen Zhen’s face also blushed, then smiled and said: “Look at you like a little girl, I do not say.”
Zhen Zhen breathed a sigh of relief.
Just don’t say this.
Before, in the countryside, she never talked about such things between husband and wife with the other women either.
When those women made the words meaty, she would find excuses to leave and not listen.
She didn’t dare to imagine such things.
It was quite shy anyway.
Servant Huai Ming said that they would do this kind of thing when they had developed feelings for each other.
Thinking about Squire Huai Ming’s words and his face drifting through her mind, Zhen Zhen’s cheeks reddened even more like an apple.
She couldn’t think or talk about it anymore.
Zhen Zhen hurriedly stopped her thoughts and switched to something serious and asked Li Shuang, “Sister-in-law, where’s the nearest sub store?”
“You want to buy something?” Li Shuang turned her head to look at Zhen Zhen.
“I want to buy vegetables and come back to cook for myself.” Zhen Zhen nodded.
Li Shuang let out an ouch, “The cafeteria has ready-made meals, there’s everything you want to eat, why cook yourself? It’s a pain in the ass to make a meal, you have to buy and wash vegetables, and you have to spend time to do it, did Serving Huai Ming ask you to do it?”
Zhen Zhen shook her head, “It’s me who wants to do it, I don’t have much to do here, so I just cook.”
Li Shuang looked at Zhen Zhen and thought for a while.
It seems to be true, she doesn’t have a job here, and there are no children around to bring up, so there really isn’t much to do.
However, she smiled again, “What’s wrong with nothing? Rest and enjoy your happiness.”
Zhen Zhen said, “I can’t rest.” I can’t rest.” This way, she enjoys her happiness with a weak heart.
Li Shuang thought again, “Why don’t you ask Mr. Huai Ming to find you a job in the city.”
Zhen Zhen was self-aware, “But I can’t read.”
Not being able to read and write was indeed troublesome.
Even if she went out to look for a job, it would all be laborious work that she couldn’t do.
Lifting her foot to step into the door of the cafeteria, Li Shuang doesn’t talk about anything else, and picks up the conversation, “OK, I just happen to be working at the sub-food store, so I’ll call out to you when I go to work, and you’ll go with me.”
Zhen Zhen: “Okay.”
Author has something to say:
Baozhi people, tomorrow into the V, tonight twelve o’clock update, will be a little more, muahahaha~
Shu Shu column there are three finished era text “seven zero of the beautiful small tailor” “stepmother awakening [seven zero]” “back file 1975”, interested can click into the column to take a look Oh ~ ~
The first time I saw you, I was in the middle of something.
When she returned home, Shi Huai Ming had not yet returned.
Fearing that the food would get cold, Zhen Zhen put a steamer drawer in the aluminum pot and warmed the food in it.
There was nothing else to do while it was warming, so she found a broom and swept the floor.
There were few people coming in and out of the house, so there wasn’t much trash or dust to sweep.
Zhen Zhen quickly finished sweeping the floor, and then washed the dirty clothes she had changed out of over the past two days.
When she was washing them, she wondered why Shi Huaiming didn’t have any dirty clothes.
When she finished washing the clothes, Servant Huai Ming came back just in time.
Zhen Zhen didn’t rush to dry, first went to the kitchen to bring out the food, and sat down to eat with Shi Huaiming.
After eating in silence for a while, Zhen Zhen looked at Shi Huai Ming and asked, “Third brother, I plan to go to the food store with Li Shuang’s sister-in-law after dinner, she said she works at the food store, I’m going to go buy some things to come back to cook.”
Serving Huai Ming nodded, “The money and tickets are in that drawer, you need to take them yourself.”
After saying that, he paused for a moment and then added, “Nothing else is a problem, but when you go out, you need to memorize the way, don’t get lost.”
Zhen Zhen cheered up, “I’ll do it, I’ll buy it and make it myself at home, so I won’t go to the cafeteria for lunch.”
Servant Huai Ming still nodded, “Good.”
Then he emphasized again, “These are all trivial matters, your mind should still be focused on your studies. Last night was too late to teach you anything new, so you should review the six single rhymes you learned yesterday at home.”
Zhen Zhen nodded and assured him, “I will.”
Serving Huai Ming was in a hurry to get to class, so he didn’t chat with Zhen Zhen any more, and hurriedly finished his meal and left.
Zhen Zhen took the laundry out to dry, and when she came back after drying the clothes, Li Shuang happened to come out.
So Zhen Zhen quickly put the basin back to the house, organize clothes and hair, out and Li Shuang together to go to the food store.
The food store is not far from the school, out of the gate and walk for five or six minutes to the store.
When we walked outside the store, Li Shuang asked Zhen Zhen: “Money all tickets are with you, right?”
Zhen Zhen nodded, “I have them all.”
Li Shuang: “Then go in and take a look, and tell the salesman what you want to buy.”
Zhen Zhen: “Uh-huh.”
***
Shizuku arrives at the store and tidies up the counter first.
Just as she tidied up the counter and looked up, she saw Li Shuang come in with a girl by his side.
The girl was dressed in gray, with two pigtails and a natural smile between her eyebrows.
Almost the moment Li Shuang stepped through the door, Wen guessed who the girl was.
However, she did not show any abnormality and greeted Li Shuang normally, “Coming.”
Li Shuang responded, “I brought our neighbor to buy something.”
When Li Shuang said this, it naturally confirmed what Shizuku had guessed in her heart.
Li Shuang didn’t care what Wen was thinking, she smiled and introduced Zhen Zhen, “Little Cotton, this is our store assistant Wen, tell her what you want. Except for the vegetables and meat ones, she sells the rest.”
Ah Wen secretly glanced at Li Shuang: you did it on purpose!
But Zhen Zhen doesn’t buy anything else.
She smiled and said, “I just want to buy some vegetables and meat now, so I’ll trouble you next time.”
After she said that, she went to the counter where the meat was sold by herself, not bothering Li Shuang or Ah Wen again.
As she walked away, Wen looked at Li Shuang and complained in a low voice, “I told you I didn’t want to see her, why did you bring her here? You’re doing this on purpose, you don’t want to make me feel good.”
Li Shuang laughed, “Minding the sky and the earth, you still care about people buying things at the food store?”
Ah Wen grunted, her tone was sour, “You did not say it is not good, this is not quite beautiful.”
Li Shuang immediately thought it was funny, “You think she’s pretty?”
Ah Wen: “Beautiful ah, the size is a little shorter than you, the skeleton is not as big as you, the clothes wear dirt some, but her face looks better than you, you see people that big eyes, that nose that mouth ……”
Pah–
Li Shuang was said by her without a smile, the palm of his hand on the counter to slap once.
The loud noise startled the others, and even Zhen Zhen turned her head this way for a moment.
When the others turned their heads back, Li Shuang whispered again, “I think you’re the one who did it on purpose!”
Shizuku pursed her lips and laughed, an expression of indebtedness.
Li Shuang looked at her for a moment and whispered, “Serving Huai Ming’s wife is so beautiful, you should be even more blocked in your heart.”
True to form, she poked right at the heart of the matter, and the smile on Ah Wen’s face was instantly gone.
Seeing her expression become so fast, Li Shuang laughed once again and walked away very proudly.
Shizuku: “……”
What a bullshit friend.
***
Zhen Zhen picks her way through the side store, buying a handful of celery, half a pound of pork, and some potatoes and peppers and eggs and onions and garlic and whatnot. She kept taking deep breaths while she was buying – spending money to spend meat pain.
After buying things she and Li Shuang A Wen greetings, then carry things to go home.
On the way back, the more she looked at the vegetables in her hand, the harder it was.
Pork is okay, this vegetables and eggs have to go to the store to spend money to buy, for her this countryside is really too difficult. In the countryside, these are all things you have in your own home and don’t spend any money at all.
If you can’t finish them, you can take them to the market and sell them, and you can also take them to the supply house for money.
Carrying the vegetables to the home, the time is still early.
According to what Serving Huai Ming explained, Zhen Zhen reviewed the six single rhymes she learned yesterday a few more times.
After making sure she had completely memorized them, and estimating that it was about time, she went to the kitchen and tied on her apron to start making lunch.
Cooking on this coal stove for the first time, Zhen Zhen planned to make something simple.
While she panned the rice and steamed it, she chose celery by the stovetop, pinched the leaves and washed them, cut all the celery into one inch or so pieces, then peeled and shredded the potatoes, cut half of the pork and left half, and added two green peppers.
Mince all the onions, ginger and garlic and put them on a cutting board.
Prepare everything you need, and when the rice is steamed and baked with a thin layer of potpourri, Jen started to stir fry.
She was a quick worker and the two dishes were simple, so they were quickly stir-fried.
A plate of celery fried pork, a plate of green pepper fried shredded potatoes.
After frying the dishes, she just washed the pan, just in time to hear the sound of Shui Huaiming coming back to open the door.
Zhen Zhen put down the pan, took the two dishes out and put them on the table, and greeted Shi Huai Ming with a smile, “You’re back, I’ve just finished frying the dishes, let’s eat.”
“Good.” Servant Huai Ming hung up his hat and went to the kitchen to wash his hands.
After washing his hands, he turned around to serve the meal, grabbing two pairs of chopsticks in his hand and going outside to put the dishes down.
Zhen Zhen washed her hands and untied her apron, coming straight out to the table to sit down.
Can be considered to eat their own cooking, Zhen Zhen heart is very happy.
Her eyes were full of smiles as she picked up her chopsticks and didn’t move them, but instead watched Shui Huaiming eat first. When he took a bite, she looked at Shi Huai Ming expectantly and asked, “How does it taste?”
Shi Huai Ming nodded at her, “Well, it’s better than the cafeteria’s.”
Zhen Zhen was even happier, “When I can master the heat of that stove, I’ll make you more delicious food.”
Servant Huai Ming did not care about this, and still said, “You don’t need to put more thought into these things, your mind should be specialized in one place.”
Hearing him say this, Zhen Zhen restrained the smile on her face.
She didn’t continue further, nodding once and responding, “Uh-huh.”
Bias she still has something else on her mind, eating for a while, hesitantly asked again, “I see there is a small piece of vacant land in front of the house, it’s already spring, can that piece of vacant land be straightened out and some vegetables planted on it? That way I don’t have to buy them.”
This was the idea that sprang up in her mind when she came back from buying vegetables today.
Serving Huai Ming replied decisively, “No need to save this money, look at the long term, the most important thing for you at this stage is to study, save this time, study more and read more, this is the right thing to do.”
Sure enough, she disagreed, Zhen Zhen nodded her head and responded, “Okay.”
Servant Huai Ming looked at her, “Don’t you not take your studies seriously, since we’ve already agreed and started, you have to treat this matter as the most important thing in your life at the moment. You should know me, I’ve always been this kind of person, as long as I decide to do something, I’ll do my best to do it to the best of my ability. Now that I’m your teacher, I’ll hold you to the same standard.”
It was true that Zhen Zhen did not have her mind set on only studying.
Now that she was studying under Servant Huai Ming, it was actually more like she was accomplishing the tasks he gave her, trying to be worthy of him.
After listening to Servant Huai Ming’s words, Zhen Zhen nodded at him again, “Uh, okay, I’ll remember.”
These words would seem wordy if said too much, so Servant Huai Ming didn’t continue further.
He didn’t have anything else to say after eating, and still let Zhen Zhen rest for fifteen minutes.
After fifteen minutes, he still called Zhen Zhen to his room and continued to teach her new content.
Flipping open the book, Servant Huai Ming told Zhen Zhen, “Today we will learn the eight consonants.”
Reaching out, he pointed to the letters in the book, pointing to one and saying one, “b, p, m, f, d, t, n, l, these eight.”
Jen tensed up and nodded at the book.
After teaching the eight consonants, Squire Huai Ming asked Zhen Zhen, “Do you know Arabic numerals?”
Zhen Zhen did not understand, “A …… Arab?”
Mr. Huaeming took a pen and wrote down “123” in his notebook, “These are the numbers.”
Oh, Zhen Zhen looked at the book and said, “I know it, and I can do the math.”
Because she had to go to the market to sell things, she often came into contact with money accounts, and she knew how to add and subtract simple things.
Servant Huai Ming nodded, “Can you use multiplication to calculate accounts?”
Zhen Zhen shook her head, “This is something I don’t know.”
Servant Huai Ming understood and got up, “I have to go to class now, you memorize everything you learned today and review and consolidate what you learned yesterday. When I come back in the evening, I’ll teach you new content.”
Zhen Zhen stood up after him, “Okay.”
Servant Huai Ming: “No need to see me off, focus on your studies.”
Zhen Zhen then did not send him out again.
After Servant Huai Ming left the room, she sat back in her chair.
As Shi Huaiming said, she focused her attention and carefully copied the letters of the alphabet.
When she got tired of copying Jane would stand up and move around a little.
At first, she would just move around the room, but later she would go outside and take a turn.
This time she had just finished going around outside when she heard something scratching at the front door.
Zhen Zhen froze for a moment, walked behind the gate, and asked out loud, “Who is it?”
Hearing the sound, the sound of something scratching the door outside became a little louder.
Then two voices came in, “Woof woof.”
Guessing it was Big White coming.
Zhen Zhen opened the door and saw Dabai outside.
This dog looks naive, I did not expect to actually know that she is at home.
When Dabai saw Zhen Zhen, he excitedly jumped around like a lion dance.
After jumping, he walked to Zhen Zhen’s side and rubbed his furry head against Zhen Zhen’s legs.
Jenny couldn’t resist the furry temptation and bent down to touch Dabai’s head with her hand.
Jen Jen asked Dabai, “Did you come to ask for food again?”
Great White continued to rub against her hand with extra enthusiasm and vigor.
Zhen Zhen smiled and added, “I’ve eaten all the rice at noon, so I don’t have any left to give you, but I still have some potato skins and celery leaves, so why don’t I cook them for you?”
Naturally, Big White could not speak.
Zhen Zhen straightened up and went straight to the kitchen.
She took out the potato skins and celery left over from her lunchtime cooking, washed them and put them in a pot, then grabbed a small handful of brown rice.
While it was cooking, Jen sat next to her and talked to Dabai.
She stroked Dabai’s head, as if confiding in someone, her voice was small and slow, “Dabai, it’s too hard to live in the city, everything costs money, almost as much as gasping for air, if it wasn’t for Third Brother, I would have starved to death here, even you are worse.
“It’s still third brother who is great, no matter in the countryside or in the city, he can live so well.
“Third brother is right, I can’t always think about living a life back in the countryside, after thinking about cooking I want to grow vegetables, after thinking about growing vegetables I want to raise chickens. I have to study hard and be educated before I can better adapt to life in the city.
Pause for a moment, “Dabai you say, one day can I also become like sister-in-law Li Shuang?”
Dabai: “Woof!”
Zhen Zhen laughs out, “Thank you.”
Dabai looks at her with his tongue out and tilts his doggy head a bit.
Zhen Zhen laughs a little more happily and vigorously rubs Dabai’s head a few times.
After rubbing the dog’s head the nerves in her head suddenly tightened on their own, realizing that she was wasting her time, Zhen Zhen hurriedly got up and went back to her room to sit down and continue copying letters.
Great White followed her to her room, his front legs curled up and he plopped down on the edge of the writing table, wagging his tail.
Jen finished copying half a page and rushed to the kitchen again.
Trying to serve what she had cooked, she realized there was no dog bowl in the house.
She put down the spoon, looked at Great White who was following her and asked, “Do you have your own dog bowl?”
With a woof, Great White ran outside.
Zhen Zhen meant it and served what she had cooked in the bowl, carrying it with her as she followed Great White out the door.
Great White kept taking her to her own kennel.
Zhen Zhen poured the stuff into its dog bowl, stroked its head and said, “It’s a bit hot, eat slowly, I’ll go home first.”
After saying that, she didn’t linger any longer and went back home to continue going to her room to learn the new letters of the alphabet.
Finish copying and memorizing all eight letters.
Zhen Zhen checked herself and mimeographed them again before putting down her pen with a sigh of relief.
Nerves no longer taut, she hummed a revolutionary song and went to the kitchen to cook.
Cooking was most comfortable.
Zhen Zhen first cooked rice porridge in a cylinder pot.
Cooking congee is not idle, kneading dough with flour.
After kneading the dough, she peeled a few small onions and chopped them, and mixed them with oil and salt.
The kneaded dough and chopped green onions were brought to the table.
Jen brings the dough board and puts it on the table, then divides the kneaded dough into small doughs.
Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a thin layer and spread the green onions on top.
Cut the green onions in half, roll them into the dough, flatten them, and roll them out again into a thin pancake sheet.
After Jen finished making the pancake sheets, the rice porridge was almost ready.
She replaced the flat pan on the stove, heated it up, brushed it with a little oil, and then put the rolled out pancakes into the pan and cooked them.
When the pancake was cooked, she kept turning it over, until the pancake crust was bulging and layered, both sides were golden brown, and then when she smelled the savory scent of green onion oil, the pancake was almost ready to be cooked.
The first cake was successfully cooked.
Zhen Zhen was very satisfied with her pancake and happily cooked the next one.
After finishing cooking all the pans, it was just when Squire Huai Ming came back from class.
As soon as he pushed the door and entered the house, he smelled the rich scent of green onions.
Hanging up his hat, he walked to the kitchen door, only to see Zhen Zhen washing the pots inside.
Turning back to see Shi Huai Ming, Zhen Zhen smiled and said, “You’re back, let’s get ready to eat, I made scallion pancakes today.”
Servant Huai Ming walked into the kitchen, “Scallion pancakes?”
“Yes.” Zhen Zhen unhooked her apron and hung it up, “Tonight we’ll eat scallion pancakes with rice porridge.”
Serving Huai Ming nodded and took the plate with the scallion pancakes out.
Zhen Zhen put the finished scallion pancakes on two plates.
After serving the rice congee outside, Zhen Zhen didn’t sit down immediately, she picked up one of the plates and said to Shui Huaiming, “I’ve made a little bit more, I want to send it to sister-in-law Li Shuang’s family.”
Servant Huai Ming had no comment, “Go ahead.”
Zhen Zhen carried the scallion pancakes outside and knocked on the door of Li Shuang’s house next door.
It was Li Shuang who opened the door, and when she saw Zhen Zhen, she asked, “Little Cotton, what’s the matter?”
Zhen Zhen smiled and sent the scallion pancakes to her, “Sister-in-law, you took me out yesterday to gain so much insight and bought me so many things, I haven’t thanked you yet, this is the scallion pancakes I made, for you to try.”
Li Shuang looked at Zhen Zhen, and then at the golden-colored pancake slices adorned with scallions on the plate.
She didn’t reject Zhen Zhen’s intention and reached out to take the next one, “Okay, then I’ll bring it back for a taste.”
Zhen Zhen was still smiling, “Then I’ll go back to eat first.”
After Zhen Zhen turned and walked away, Li Shuang closed the door and went back inside with the scallion pancakes.
She goes to the dining table and puts the plates down, sits down and says, “Let’s add a meal today, the scallion pancakes made by Little Cotton next door.”
He Ziran let out a “wow”, “It smells so good.”
He Shuo and He Ziran first caught a piece each and put it in their mouths.
He Shuo nodded his head as he ate, “Fresh from the pot, crispy and fragrant, much better than the ones in the cafeteria.”
He Ziran also nodded his head next to him, “Especially, especially delicious!”
Li Shuang didn’t look very convinced, “She’s in the countryside, she hasn’t even eaten anything good, how good can she make it?”
He Shuo looked at her while eating and said, “Don’t you know if you taste it?”
Originally, Li Shuang had little interest in this scallion pancake.
But seeing He Ziran and He Shuo eating it with great flavor, she reached out her chopsticks and grabbed a piece herself.
Putting it in her mouth, she chewed and swallowed it, her eyes brightening up little by little.
After finishing a bite, she also nodded her head and said heartily, “I didn’t expect ah, Little Cotton still has this kind of craftsmanship.”
He Shuo continued to nod, “Huai Ming is very blessed.”
Li Shuang raised his eyebrows slightly, “What? You’re not lucky to marry me?”
He Shuo smiled, “Of course there is, Little Cotton is Huai Ming’s good fortune, you are my good fortune.”
Li Shuang hummed in satisfaction, reaching out his chopsticks to clip the scallion pancakes to go.
***
Although it had only been two or three days since she arrived in the city, Zhen Zhen’s life was already showing regularity.
Resting for fifteen minutes like after dinner, and fifteen minutes later going to Servant Huai Ming’s room to listen to his lecture.
And before teaching new content, Squire Huai Ming would first check her mastery of what she had already learned.
After checking, Zhen Zhen had memorized the eight letters she had been taught at noon, and Squire Huai Ming taught her six new ones, and talked to her about multiplication, writing the multiplication mnemonic carefully in her notebook.
When he had finished writing he covered up his pen and said, “This multiplication table must be memorized.”
Zhen Zhen looked at the multiplication table that looked like a small hill, gulped and asked, “Will I memorize it by noon tomorrow?”
Servant Huai Ming, “You’re new to multiplication, so memorize 1 to 3 first.”
Zhen Zhen nodded, “Okay.”
After the new content was taught, Servant Huai Ming went to wash up first, letting Zhen Zhen review and deepen her memory while it was still hot.
Returning after washing up, he told Zhen Zhen to go wash up and go to bed, “Go to sleep first, get up in the morning and memorize again.”
Jen got up with a sigh of relief, “Okay, I’ll go back first then.”
After washing up and returning to her room, Zhen Zhen sat down at the writing table and took out the snowflake cream and unscrewed it to take a whiff, then smeared it in front of the mirror.
This time she smeared so much more than in the morning, and the scent on her face and hands was a little heavier.
After smearing the snow cream face and hands are moisturized.
Zhen Zhen put the back of her hand to her nose and inhaled the scent deeply, and pulled the lamp to bed with satisfaction.
And to the bed to lie down, eyes just closed, the brain popped up a lot of letters and numbers.
aoeiu眉……
bpmf……
dtnl……
one one get one……
One and two get two……
……
Two by two get ……
Hmmm ……
Boldly falling asleep ……
***
Letters and numbers floated in Jen’s dreams all night.
When she woke up in the morning, in the midst of the chaos, that mind was still full of them.
Jen opened her eyes and subconsciously blurted out, “aoeiu眉……”
Blinks and sits up to get dressed, continues with a nasal voice, “bpmf, dtnl……”
Get out of bed and put on shoes, “gk……gk……”
Put on shoes, the four below also did not think of it.
Zhen Zhen opened the door and went out of the room, met the service Huai Ming went out to train, greeted him as usual and said to wait for him to come back to eat.
She washed up and went to the kitchen, still first cooking rare rice.
While the rice was cooking, she made the noodles and beat the eggs, adding water and stirring well to make tender egg pancakes.
In the pot to make egg cakes, Zhen Zhen in her mind thinking: where can I get some old noodles, with the old noodles can be flour, can also steam steamed buns steamed buns, dead noodles can not be steamed.
She just came a few days ago, and did not recognize the other people in the courtyard.
She knows Li Shuang, who doesn’t usually cook at home, and certainly doesn’t have any old noodles at home.
Still in the countryside is convenient, no matter whose family needs something, you can always borrow it from someone else’s house.
The omelette is ready to serve Huai Ming has not yet returned.
Zhen Zhen put the omelet in the pot of boiled rice and put it on the stove to warm up.
Instead of thinking about the old noodles, she went to her room and picked up a book to memorize the alphabet and multiplication facts.
When she heard Squire Huai Ming return, she put down the book and got up to go out to eat.
If there was nothing serious, Squire Huai Ming usually didn’t say anything small to Zhen Zhen during meals.
Not knowing anyone in this courtyard, and not being able to hear gossip and family stories, Zhen Zhen herself didn’t really have much to gossip about.
She raised her gaze to look at Shi Huai Ming once in a while, wanting to say something, but ultimately didn’t find a topic.
Shi Huai Ming did not feel anything, in his place everything is normal.
After dinner, he briefly explained to Zhen Zhen, “I’m going to class, you consolidate what you learned last night.”
Zhen Zhen answered and watched him go out the door before returning to her room and sitting down.
When she first sat down, she was slightly lost in thought, thinking to herself that Squire Huai Ming didn’t know when he would have feelings for her.
Other than studying, he didn’t seem to have anything else to say to her at all.
Between them, they had no feelings and no common topics.
This was the reality of an arranged marriage.
Thinking like this for a while, she couldn’t help but feel a little stuffy in her heart.
Zhen Zhen didn’t let herself think about it any more, shook her head and exhaled softly, continuing to copy the letters and memorize the multiplication tables.
She cheered herself up, she had to study hard, when she was educated and had new ideas, she should be able to talk to Mr. Huai Ming.
Servant Huai Ming likes to read books, when she is literate she will also read more books and talk to him about the things in the books.
***
After Squire Huai Ming left, Zhen Zhen studied at home without any distractions.
She memorized the six letters of the alphabet that she learned last night, and recited the multiplication facts from 1 to 3 a few times.
In order to memorize them, she continued to recite them while cooking.
Today, the timing wasn’t very accurate, and when she finished cooking Shi Huai Ming hadn’t come back from class yet.
Raising her eyes to see the warmth of the sun outside, Zhen Zhen moved a bench and took her textbook outside.
She sat down in front of the house and memorized the alphabet and multiplication tables in the sun.
The sun made her lazy, and when she almost fell asleep, she suddenly felt someone turning over her books.
Zhen Zhen woke up with a start and turned her head to look at the person next to her, only to see that it was Li Shuang and her son He Ziran.
Li Shuang looked at her and couldn’t help but smile as he asked, “What are you doing?”
Zhen Zhen returned to her senses and replied, “Oh, sister-in-law, I’m studying, learning pinyin.”
Li Shuang thought for a while, “So Squire Huai Ming asked He Shuo to find these elementary school textbooks, so it was for you?”
Zhen Zhen didn’t know about this and only said, “I guess so.”
Li Shuang still laughed, “You two couples are really interesting, Shui Huai Ming, he is also really capable of tossing and turning, don’t mind getting tired.”
People marry their wives to live, he married his wife to cultivate.
This is long past the age of learning, see Zhen Zhen so adult holding elementary school textbooks memorization, quite amusing.
Zhen Zhen looked at Li Shuang and said, “Third brother is highly cultured, I also want to become better.”
Li Shuang collected the smile on his face, looked at Zhen Zhen and asked, “He dislikes you ah?”
Zhen Zhen shook her head, “No, not too much.”
Li Shuang wanted to ask more, but it was just as Servant Huai Ming and He Shuo came back.
Li Shuang stopped talking, straightened up and called He Ziran next to him, and turned around to go home.
He Shuo and Shui Huaiming walked this way to separate, Shui Huaiming and Zhen Zhen went back to the house together.
Sitting down to eat, Servant Huai Ming said to Zhen Zhen, ”Tomorrow is Sunday, so I can rest after training in the morning, I’m planning on inviting He Shuo’s family of three to the People’s Restaurant for a meal. Li Shuang spent the afternoon bringing you to buy so many things, we should thank them.”
Zhen Zhen didn’t have much of an opinion on this, she asked, “Do I …… have Sundays?”
Servant Huai Ming nodded at her, “Yes, you have to combine work and rest even when studying.”
Zhen Zhen smiled and spoke out the idea that popped into her head, “Then why don’t I go buy food and come back, make it at home, and invite them over to eat. I also want to thank sister-in-law Li Shuang, so why don’t you let me do it myself.”
Servant Huai Ming thought for a moment, “Do you want to do it? It’s quite troublesome to cook so many dishes.”
Zhen Zhen said seriously, “It’s not troublesome at all, I can’t do anything else, but I’m the best at cooking.”
Seeing that Zhen Zhen really wanted to do it, Servant Huai Ming nodded, “Then I’ll go talk to He Shuo.”
Zhen Zhen still had her own idea, “Why don’t you let me go talk to sister-in-law Li Shuang, it was originally my business as well.”
She was willing to go and say it of course, Squire Huai Ming still nodded, “Good.”
Zhen Zhen happily finished her meal, and then utilized the fifteen minutes that Servant Huai Ming gave himself to go next door and find Li Shuang.
Knocking on the door and seeing He Shuo, she smiled and said, “Head He, I’m looking for sister-in-law Li Shuang.”
He Shuo watched Zhen Zhen smile and inexplicably followed suit himself, turning back to call Li Shuang.
Li Shuang came out and asked Zhen Zhen, “Little Cotton, what are you looking for me for again?”
Zhen Zhen told her, “Sister-in-law you helped me so much before, I and the third brother said well, tomorrow please your family dinner, I plan to go to buy food back to do it yourself, invite you to eat at home, can it?”
Originally, Li Shuang didn’t want to toss it, things were originally not big.
But hearing Zhen Zhen say this, and thinking about the flavor of the scallion pancakes Zhen Zhen made, she decisively smiled and said, “Sure.”
Seeing that Li Shuang agreed, Zhen Zhen was also happy.
She also smiled and said, “Then tomorrow night when the meal is ready I’ll come over and call you guys over to eat.”
Li Shuang didn’t engage in the politeness bit, “Then I won’t be polite.”
Zhen Zhen smiled like the warm and melting sun on a spring day.
Her happiness came from her heart and sparkled in her clear, watery eyes.
Just as she was about to go back, Zhen Zhen remembered something and hesitated for a moment before asking Li Shuang, “By the way sister-in-law, I’ve made such a friend as you in the few days that I’ve been here, so I want to ask you, do you know where I can borrow some old noodles from? I’d like to sprout some noodles to steam buns, and I’ll return the old noodles after making the buns.”
Li Shuang thought for a moment, “I’ll ask for you.”
She usually didn’t like to cook, and didn’t have this at home.
But she knows a lot of people and can indeed help Zhen Zhen find a ball.
Zhen Zhen: “Thanks!”
Li Shuang looks at Zhen Zhen’s sweetly smiling face and can’t help but smile along herself.
Seeing Zhen Zhen go back, she went back to her house with a smile on her face.
Inside the house, she told He Shuo, “Serving Huai Ming and Little Cotton, they’re inviting us to their home for dinner tomorrow.”
He Shuo turned his head to look at her, “You promised?”
Li Shuang: “Yeah, there’s a free meal, why don’t we go eat?”
He Shuo: “Didn’t you say before that you didn’t want to toss and turn, and that you wouldn’t go even if you were invited over?”
Li Shuang: “I’ve changed my mind again, can’t I?” He Shuo: “Yes, I can.
He Shuo: “Yes …… of course yes ……”
***
Zhen Zhen returned home and happily told Squire Huai Ming: “Sister-in-law Li Shuang agreed.”
Fifteen minutes of time has not yet arrived, the service Huai Ming accompanied her to say this thing, “Then tomorrow I will take you to diagonal bay big market to buy things, you want to think about what to do some dishes, tomorrow to the market directly buy into it.”
Zhen Zhen was curious: “Shiaowan Grand Fair?”
Servant Huai Ming: “Well, the biggest fair in Xicheng, it’s especially busy on Sundays.”
Zhen Zhen also enjoyed the fair and nodded heavily, “Good.”
The two chatted for a few moments, and the time came.
Servant Huai Ming glanced at the clock on the table and immediately became serious: “Let’s talk about tomorrow’s business tomorrow, first do today’s business.”
Seeing him like this, Zhen Zhen was quick to collect herself and quickly put on a serious study attitude.
Servant Huai Ming first checked her mastery of the new content she learned last night.
Seeing that she had memorized all of them and could read and mime them, he taught her the remaining nine consonants, and after doing so, said, “It’s still the same, and by the way, memorize the multiplication mnemonics from four to six again.”
Jen nodded in response and watched him go out the door.
***
Li Shuang went to work at the sub store after lunch.
When the store was less crowded, she went to find Shizuku and told her, “Do you have any old noodles at your house?”
Shizuku sniffed and looked at her in surprise, “What for? You want to make pancakes?”
“I’m not making any pancakes.” Li Shuang smiled, “The neighbor’s little Cotton asked for them, I’ll ask for her.”
At the mention of that little cotton, Ah Wen’s face expression froze, looked at Li Shuang speechlessly, then said in a suppressed voice, “What’s wrong with you, right? You know very well that I have …… his wife before to ask for the old noodle, you look for me?”
Li Shuang is not annoyed, “This is not you right in front of you, find up convenient well.”
Wen angry to bite his teeth, “I see you are intentional!”
Li Shuang: “Don’t accuse me.”
She still said the main thing, “Just one question, can you find it?”
Ah Wen decisively said, “No! Can’t find it!”
After saying this, she looked at Li Shuang for a while, and then asked in anger, “What do you mean? What do you mean, you’re getting along with her?”
Li Shuang laughed again, “What is good on not good on, neighbors and comrades in arms, help each other should not be? It’s childish.”
Wen was not happy, “You know that I …… you still help her this and that!”
Li Shuang looked at Wen, his voice lowered, “You’re not so careful, right, people are not from your hands to steal the man, that would have been the man of the people, it can only mean that you and the service Huai Ming did not have a destiny.”
Of course Ah Wen knew this.
She said to Li Shuang, “I’m talking about you, not Squire Huai Ming!”
Li Shuang patted her shoulder, “Okay, okay, I’ll go find someone else to ask.”
Li Shuang left, and Wen stood by the counter alone, puffing up.
After being angry for half an hour, she went to find Li Shuang again, “Watch the counter for me, I’ll go out for a while.”
It wasn’t a big deal, Li Shuang didn’t ask her where she was going, just said, “Go and come back soon.”
Ah Wen went out of the sub-store and ran far away.
She came back ten minutes later, carrying a small cloth bag in her hand.
Walking over to the counter, she put the cloth bag on the counter and said with a cold expression and voice, “This is filled with old noodles, you can take it and use it, but give it back to me, my family just kept this piece.”
Li Shuang reached out and pulled open the drawstring of the cloth bag, only to see a bowl with old noodles inside.
Knowing she wasn’t that careful, Li Shuang smiled, “Then I must give it back to you.”
After saying that, he pinched Shizuku’s face, “I’ll find you a better match.”
Shizuku: “I’ll keep my word!”
Li Shuang: “You must keep your word!”
Shizuku: “Better than Shi Huai Ming!”
Li Shuang: “I’ll do my best!”
***
After Shi Huai Ming goes to class, Zhen Zhen stays home to consolidate what he’s newly taught.
Dabai came to play with her she also resisted the temptation to go out, so Dabai plopped down by her writing table and watched her peacefully shake that big broom-like tail.
Finishing her studies, Jen still cooked at about the same time.
As she cooked, she thought in her mind about how many dishes she would make and what she would make for each of them when she invited Li Shuang’s family over for dinner tomorrow. Inviting people over for dinner has to be a bit more elaborate, you can’t just stir-fry a few dishes and call it a day.
After making the meal and just washing the pot, I heard a knock on the front door.
Zhen Zhen put the washed pot up, to the door to open the door, only to see is Li Shuang standing outside.
Before she had time to say hello, Li Shuang directly sent the cloth bag in his hand to her and said: “I borrowed the old noodles for you, take it and use it. Remember to leave a piece of old noodles in the bowl after use, I have to return it to someone.”
I didn’t expect Li Shuang to find it so quickly.
Zhen Zhen cheered up and took the cloth bag in while saying to Li Shuang, “Thank you sister-in-law.”
“Small thing, no need to be polite.” Li Shuang had nothing else to say and turned around to go home.
But before she could take a step, Zhen Zhen called out to her again.
She turned back and looked at Zhen Zhen, “Is there something else?”
Zhen Zhen was also quite afraid of troubling people herself, and asked in a soft voice, “Sister-in-law, you, Head He, and Zi Ran, what do you like to eat? Tomorrow, Third Brother and I will go to catch the big fair in Xiewan to buy food.”
Li Shuang simply said, “We don’t have anything to avoid, you do what you know how to do.”
Which to others to eat also bring some dishes, too not take themselves as outsiders.
Seeing Li Shuang said so, Zhen Zhen nodded and did not ask again.
At this time, He Ziran came back, before he reached the front, he shouted, “Mom, eat quickly, I want to go to the movies.”
Zhen Zhen was curious, “A movie?”
Seeing that she doesn’t know, Li Shuang explains to her, “There’s a movie on the school playground tonight, if you want to go to see it, go early to take a seat, otherwise there’ll be too many people and you won’t be able to see it when you’re crammed in the back.”
Understanding, Zhen 琛ょ硛鐝� smiled, “Oh, that’s right.”
Li Shuang didn’t have anything else to say, pulled He Ziran on and went home.
Zhen Zhen took the old noodles into the house, took the noodle bowl out of the cloth bag and put it in the kitchen to cover it.
She planned to get up tomorrow morning to make the noodles, go to the big market with Shui Huaiming in the morning, and come back in the afternoon to steam the buns.
When she put the noodle bowl away, Shui Huaiming came back from class.
He didn’t mention the movie in the school yard tonight, so Zhen Zhen didn’t mention it herself.
After dinner, Mr. Huai Ming didn’t teach Zhen Zhen anything new, but asked Zhen Zhen to memorize the rest of her multiplication facts.
In addition to the rest of the multiplication facts, there was also everything that had been learned before, so it was important to consolidate and review them.
Servant Huai Ming still sat next to Zhen Zhen, reading his own book to accompany her.
He had always been serious when reading, and apart from writing and drawing on the pages with a pen, or flipping the pages, there was no other sound.
As he was so serious, Zhen Zhen naturally didn’t dare to relax.
But tonight she still deserted for a while, as the sound of a movie playing in the playground came over.
She was so caught up in the sound of the movie that she unconsciously wandered off for a while.
Realizing that she had wandered off, she hurriedly collected her thoughts.
Clearing what shouldn’t be out of her brain, she took a secret breath and continued to memorize her multiplication facts and letters.
By the time the movie was almost over, Jen had almost finished consolidating everything she had learned.
With a bit of confidence in her heart, she said to Servant Huai Ming, “Third brother, I’ve finished memorizing everything.”
Hearing this, Servant Huai Ming put down the book in his hand.
He first asked Zhen Zhen to memorize all the letters and multiplication phrases she had learned in front of him, and then he gave the letters to Zhen Zhen to memorize in her notebook. The multiplication facts were given to her as questions and she was asked to answer them verbally.
These were the simplest and most basic things, and Zhen Zhen didn’t make any mistakes.
Servant Huai Ming was satisfied with her learning results in the past few days, and reached into the pen box to take out a pen that absorbed red ink, and at the end of the page where Zhen Zhen had written silently, he drew a four-petaled red flower, and painted it solidly.
After the drawing, he wrote “service” next to it, and wrote the date.
Raising his hand after writing, he said to Jen, “Very good, reward you with a little red flower.”
Being surprised as well as struck, the corners of Zhen Zhen’s mouth can’t help but rise when she sees the little red flower on the book.
Pursing her lips to try and hide it downwards, she couldn’t hide it at all.
Her heart blossomed and spit out honey.
Turning her head to look at Shui Huaiming, she had a bright and sweet smile between her eyes and the corners of her mouth, and her voice was clear and crisp: “I’m sure I’ll be able to learn well.”
Servant Huai Ming turned his head to meet her gaze and subconsciously froze for a moment.
He quickly withdrew his gaze and put up the cap of the fountain pen, put it back into the pen barrel and said, “Well, go for it.”
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