Educated Youth in the Countryside: She is the Village's Embroidery Queen!-Chapter 459: Still Can’t Relax

Qin Jiu’s mood was quite complex; he spent half the day not receiving Niu Niu’s handkerchief because he was too clean and never wiped his nose with his sleeve.

He was silent for so long that Yi Chichi, who was holding his hand, glanced at him curiously, then stifled a laugh.

The conflicted expression was just too funny.

She didn’t plan to point it out, but instead looked at Niu Niu and found the little girl’s expression equally conflicted.

Finally, with a look of resolve, she spoke, "How about I give you one?"

"Really?!"

Qin Jiu was no longer conflicted, smiling as brightly as the sun.

Niu Niu nodded, "Really, I have a little kitten handkerchief that no one wants."

Qin Jiu hesitated for a moment but couldn’t resist the desire deep in his heart.

"Alright, give it to me then."

But when they arrived at Niu Niu’s house and saw the handkerchief she took out, Qin Jiu regretted it.

He looked at the handkerchief with what was supposedly a kitten pattern, then looked at Niu Niu, trembling, "Is this the kitten you mentioned?"

"Yeah."

Niu Niu teased him, "Does it look like one?"

Qin Jiu gave Yi Chichi a helpless look for help. She cleared her throat, pretending not to see, and walked out, "I’m going to help Aunt Ma pick vegetables."

Before she finished speaking, she left like a rabbit, reaching Aunt Ma.

She was pulling cabbage leaves, saw Yi Chichi squat down to help, snatched the cabbage, and said, "Don’t touch it."

"I can do this."

"I know you can."

She could go down to the fields, harvest wheat, pull corn, dig and plant medicinal herbs; she could handle them all.

But it didn’t mean she had to pull cabbage.

"I’m using these to make sauerkraut, don’t make them too clean."

Yi Chichi acknowledged, stopped her hand, and squatted in front of her watching her work, "Didn’t you make any before?"

"I did, it won’t last till spring, I have to make two more vats."

At this point, Aunt Ma raised her eyes to ask, "Is your mom growing anything in the greenhouse this year?"

"She is. What about you, sis?"

Aunt Ma’s mouth twitched slightly, looked around, saw her husband was not around, leaned next to her ear, and whispered, "Don’t spread it; your uncle burned all the seedlings.

Yi Chichi’s eyes widened abruptly, "What did uncle do, how did he burn the seedlings?"

"Poured tea leaves water in and heated the fire wall to boiling."

That does deserve reproach.

New seedlings really aren’t hardy; with the way uncle did it, even adult plants would be tortured to the brink of death.

She sighed, "What to do? No veggies this year?"

Aunt Ma chuckled awkwardly, "Does your mom have any extra seedlings?"

Yi Chichi instantly understood, she wanted to ask for a few seedlings to replant.

"There should be."

Seedlings grown from the seeds need thinning, the stronger ones would be replanted, and the weak, malnourished ones would be discarded.

Things like bok choy are fine; they can be eaten directly.

It’s fast to grow.

"Auntie, you can come by sometime, or I can bring them over when I go to the commune."

Aunt Ma found it reliable, but "When are you going to the commune?"

"I have to go tomorrow."

Estimated that the package she sent back had mostly arrived.

Have to send Wen Shi a telegram, report on the situation at home.

"Alright, check if you can transplant them first, if not, you can wait a few days."

"Okay."

Just then, the thick curtain was pulled open, and the brigade captain walked in with a chill all over.

"Why is Chichi here?"

"Sending Niu Niu home."

"It’s just a few steps, why bother..."

The words were suddenly cut off by Aunt Ma’s seemingly man-eating glare, and the brigade captain decisively changed his tune, "Your Uncle Yaozi will be going to get medicine tomorrow, do you want to go to the commune?"

"I do, I’ll go and tell Uncle Yaozi later."

"Alright."

He nodded, poured himself a cup of boiling water, and asked if Yi Chichi wanted any. She waved her hands in refusal, "We’re about to go back."

Before she finished speaking, Qin Jiu came out grinning, "Auntie, we can go home now."

Niu Niu followed him out a step later, giggling, "Auntie, I will practice well."

"Practice well, try to sell your handkerchief the next time auntie goes to Uncle Wen’s."

"Okay."

The goal of selling hit Niu Niu’s young heart; her eyes sparkled, "When I can make money, I’ll buy big white rabbits for grandma and grandpa."

"I don’t want big white rabbits; just buy me filter cigarettes."

The brigade captain picked up the conversation smoothly; Aunt Ma suddenly got angry, casually threw a cabbage leaf and hit him on the head, scolding, "Can you please behave like a person, old man! Niu Niu is so young, and you have her buying filter paper for you, do I look like a filter tip..."

Non-stop, speaking fiercely.

The brigade captain was intimidated, shrinking his neck like a quail, not daring to make a sound. Yi Chichi grabbed Qin Jiu and shouted for them to run outside.

Niu Niu warmly invited them to come over and play next time, turning around to console Aunt Ma.

The crisp, tender voice flying in the wind did seem to calm the fire.

"Auntie, you can put me down now."

Qin Jiu, who was dragged along running, was a bit tired; his short legs against long legs, the short ones truly exhausted to keep up.

Yi Chichi stopped her steps, "Oh dear, Auntie is a bit fierce."

Qin Jiu’s tone was calm, "I’ve also seen Grandma Ma make the brigadier grandpa kneel on a washboard."

Yi Chichi swiftly turned her head to look at him, then looked away, advising, "Don’t say it in front of outsiders."

Uncle captain also has his dignity.

"I understand!"

Qin Jiu nodded, proudly saying, "I didn’t tell anyone, only auntie."

"Very good, keep it up."

She held Qin Jiu’s hand but didn’t rush home. Instead, they went to the clinic and arranged tomorrow’s commune trip with Uncle Yaozi, then went home leisurely.

At dinner time, she went to the cowshed to call the old man over for dinner.

During the meal, they talked about the changing weather; Ma Baoshan, the old man, suppressed his voice excitedly, "Are we finally going to see the sun?"

"Not yet!"

Mr. Song had a different opinion; he said, "It’s darkest before dawn, we can’t relax, we have to be very careful."

Aunt Grandpa agreed with him, looked at Ma Baoshan, and said solemnly, "Don’t get carried away, things will be as they were, what’s meant to come will come, we can’t rush it, have to be stable."

"...I’m not three years old, I understand all this, I was just too excited."

Yi Chichi gave him a piece of pot-stewed meat with the public chopsticks, "Grandpa, just eat properly, thinking too much now won’t help."

She didn’t know about other places, but Beijing’s atmosphere was extremely tense now.

Previously when passing through Beijing, she still had the mood to go out, stroll around, and buy some local products.

This time, she didn’t dare move and stayed at the guesthouse overnight, leaving the next day.

Afraid of being targeted and having something happen.

When the surrounding environment isn’t doing well, the only thing to do is run; otherwise, you might get caught up in the mess.

If you’re unfamiliar with the place, if something happens, it can really be a situation of crying for help in vain.

She treasures her life.

"Grandpa, after spring comes, try to reduce contact with people in the village, focus on working."