The Reborn Sidekick Rejected The Male Lead-Chapter 31 - Jiang Nanzhou in the Eyes of the Educated
Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Jiang Nanzhou in the Eyes of the Educated Youth
Chapter 31 -31: Jiang Nanzhou in the Eyes of the Educated Youth
In the morning, several people went off to work, and Lu Jingqiu took out the quilt she had left last time to air it out. She also helped air out the quilts for the other two and washed the bed sheets herself.
Her parents had eaten breakfast and were coming over in the car. Her mother looked in good spirits and was holding a new hemp sack.
Lu Jingqiu knew at a glance what her mother was up to. “Mom, there aren’t that many mushrooms on the mountain. It was already great that we found so many yesterday.”
Zhou Lanping laughed, “I find it quite fun. After all, we came here to enjoy ourselves. Your dad and I will go up the mountain. You keep washing here.”
“Hey, Mom, I’ll come with you.”
Lu Xianrun waved his hand. “No need, your mother and I are comfortable by ourselves. Oh by the way, let’s take a photo together here as a family of three.”
Lu Jingqiu had the same thought, but now at the Educated Youth Spot, there were only the three of them and no one else to take the photo.
Lu Xianrun, not being a stranger to the place, stood on the small path ahead for a while and soon brought someone back — it was Gao Shu.
“Gao Shu? You today…”
Gao Shu knew what Lu Jingqiu was wondering and explained, “Today I was helping Linlin record her measurements and got a bit late. I was just about to go to the fields when I ran into Uncle Lu.”
Lu Jingqiu didn’t really want to hear Xia Lin’s name. She just smiled and then asked him to take a photo for their family of three.
Afterward, Lu Jingqiu mentioned the group photo at the Educated Youth Spot to him. “I’ll take one for you first. After lunch, don’t forget to come back. We’ll take a group photo together.”
Gao Shu didn’t really want Lu Jingqiu to take his photo, but with Uncle Lu and Auntie also chiming in, he reluctantly agreed to take one.
After the photos were taken, her parents and Gao Shu left together.
…
“Look, it’s Comrade Lu’s parents.”
“So her dad is in the military, huh? With that bearing, he must be a leader.”
“Do you even need to ask? Those who can drive here, if not leaders, then what are they?”
“Comrade Lu has been here for a few years, no wonder she speaks in such a peculiar way. She has that kind of confidence.”
“I heard she’s an only child. How could a family like that end up here?”
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“It’s all because of Comrade Gao. Now that Gao Shu and Xia Lin are married, Comrade Lu must have given up. Look, she’s always taking sick leave.”
“It’s better that she left; that way she doesn’t have to bicker and argue with Xia Lin anymore. Even if she didn’t work, her parents could still afford to support her.”
“That’s true. Look at Comrade Lu’s parents holding hands at their age, with so many people around in the field, they’re not even embarrassed.”
“I’ve heard city folks are like that.”
“City people all act like that? Isn’t that hooliganism?”
“It’s quite normal for a husband and wife to hold hands.”
“Anyway, we can’t do such things in public.”
“Li Hua’s mother, give it a rest. You and your old man walking hand in hand, it looks more like a fight than anything.”
Li Hua’s mother didn’t get angry at hearing this, instead, she laughed heartily. How true.
Walking along the country roads, the couple, Lu Xianrun and his wife, infected by the laughter and jovial voices of the comrades working in the fields, said with a smile, “Our Qiuqiu here, despite the hard work, must be quite happy.”
Zhou Lanping also nodded with a smile looking at the group. She had always worried about her child and held biases against the countryside, but it was after really getting to know the place that she discovered each place has its own unique goodness.
After finishing the laundry, Lu Jingqiu busied herself for a while in the vegetable garden in the backyard, helping everyone tidy up the vegetable patch. At noon, she cooked a meal herself, a generous portion of rice, but there were only two dishes, one with green beans, and a mushroom soup.
Her parents came back with Shen Mu and several others. Zhang Yumin and Shen Mu even helped her father carry back half a sack of mushrooms.
Lu Jingqiu hadn’t collected so many mushrooms in the three years she had been here; her parents were truly impressive, a basketful yesterday, and a half bag today.
Even before Zhang Shuo reached the courtyard gate, he could smell the aroma of the steamed white rice, and he had already served himself a large bowl, repeatedly exclaiming how delicious it was.
For the first time in a year, they were eating steamed white rice, each with a heaping bowl, even Li Yinger, who usually ate less.
Now, they wished Lu Jingqiu’s parents could live here every day.
The Educated Youths were gathered around the dining table, enjoying a dish of green beans, savoring every bite. When they were halfway through their bowls, Zhang Shuo suddenly said, “It’s a pity Gao Shu can’t taste this good meal.”
His comment caused the others, who had been focused on their food, to pause. Zhang Yumin frowned slightly and silently nudged him with his elbow.
Li Qing busily stuffed a chopstick full of green beans into his bowl: “Even food can’t stop your mouth.”
Zhou Lanping, however, laughed, “The young man is right, Gao Shu won’t be able to taste the food made by my Qiuqiu. Your father and I didn’t expect that after a few years here, she would learn to cook, and cook so well at that. She must have learned a lot from all of you. In that case, Auntie really should thank you.
Seeing how thin you all are, Qiuqiu, this afternoon you and I will go to town and cut a few more pounds of meat to make dumplings. By the way, does anyone here know how to drive?”
Shen Mu said, “Auntie, I know how to.”
“Oh, do you have to work this afternoon?”
Shen Mu replied, “You tell me, Auntie. My work is simple; I’ll be done in no time.”
“Once you’re done, take Qiuqiu to buy the meat.”
Lu Jingqiu was stunned for a moment and asked, “Mom, where are you and dad going this afternoon?”
Lu Xianrun chuckled: “Your mom hasn’t had enough fun in the mountains. We’re going to play for a while this afternoon. We have to leave tomorrow, so we want to make sure your mom has a good time.”
Lu Jingqiu said no more. She talked about taking photos last night with Yun Yuzhi and the others. After eating, everyone went inside to freshen up. The girls naturally wanted to dress up. Zhang Yumin and the others would have liked to dress up too, but considering they had only a couple of pieces of clothing, they didn’t mind much. After washing their faces and fixing their hair, they asked Lu Jingqiu to take their photos.
Lu Jingqiu took a separate photo of each of them and only asked her father to help take a group photo when Gao Shu arrived.
“Once I go back and develop them, I’ll mail them to you right away.”
Li Yinger, both worried and excited, said, “I wonder how they turned out?”
Li Qing quickly complimented, “Yinger, you’re sure to look good in the photos.”
Lu Jingqiu counted the film inside the camera and, finding some extra, quietly asked, “Do you two want to take one together?”
As soon as she said this, Li Qing was naturally delighted, but seeing Li Yinger’s hesitant demeanor and not daring to decide on his own, he hurried forward to persuade Li Yinger.
Meanwhile, Yun Yuzhi and Zhang Yumin hesitated for a long time before finally taking a photo under everyone’s watchful eyes and blessings.
In the end, Li Yinger was dragged by Li Qing to take one as well.
By the time it was time to work, the parents had taken their sacks up the mountain.
Lu Jingqiu was a bit worried about her mom’s health, but seeing that her mom seemed even more refreshed today, she did not want to dampen her spirits and could only give a few cautious instructions. During the lunch break, she still asked her mom what they did on the mountain. Her mom put on a mysterious front, not telling her, so reluctantly, before leaving, she heated some water for her parents to take with them.
Once Jingqiu’s parents had left, the Educated Youths all showed their delight and snickered at her, with Zhang Shuo bluntly saying, “Shen Mu, I’ll do your work in the fields this afternoon. You go with Comrade Lu to town to buy the meat. How about we eat dumplings stuffed with shiitake mushrooms and meat?” For the sake of food, Zhang Shuo was also unusually willing to help with work.
Yun Yuzhi glanced at Zhang Shuo with disdain: “All you think about is eating. Uncle and Auntie came here to visit for two days, and you’re quite content to eat and drink for free every day.”
Zhang Shuo retorted, “What do you mean eat and drink for free? We should definitely treat Uncle and Auntie well, don’t you think, Comrade Jingqiu?”
Captain Zhang Yumin spoke up, “Let’s pull out our grain coupons and exchange them in the village for some white flour. Comrade Jingqiu, you don’t need to buy the flour. We really can’t afford to pay for the meat.”
Lu Jingqiu nodded, “I won’t be polite to the captain then. I’ll cut some extra meat later, and I’ll make sure everyone gets a full meal tonight.”
Li Qing chuckled to himself: “We’ve been eating well these past five or six days. Just the other day, Shen Mu’s older brother came here, and on his second day in the mountains, he hunted a big wild boar. The village made a whole pig feast, and we all ate deliciously.”
Lu Jingqiu was slightly taken aback, turning her head to look at Shen Mu, “Your brother really hunted a wild boar?”
