Chapter 14: Free Labor

Su Yi stood up, and her long, black hair, which had been spread out over the back of the chair, fell down her back.

Zhou Jingchuan was momentarily blinded by the sight, then explained, “Oh, I’m here to bring you some things.”

With that, he and Xie Xiaojun began moving the items into the house.

Su Yi, holding Yao Nuannuan, stood to the side, feeling that the two men seemed reluctant to look at her.

She then realized that her disheveled hair was a bit inappropriate, so she quickly braided it and also tied Yao Nuannuan’s hair into two small braids.

Nuannuan, sitting quietly on the chair, looked at Su Yi with curiosity. “Sister Su, when I grow up, will my hair be as long and black as yours?”

Due to poor nutrition, Nuannuan’s hair was thin, soft, and somewhat brittle.

Su Yi smiled and reassured Nuannuan, “Of course, Nuannuan. If you eat well, your hair will become even darker as you grow.”

Nuannuan nodded obediently and smiled brightly in response.

Seeing the warm interaction between Su Yi and the children, Xie Xiaojun couldn’t help but lean closer to Zhou Jingchuan and whisper, “Commander, Comrade Su is quite something. She’s already gotten along so well with Nuannuan. They almost look like mother and daughter.”

Zhou Jingchuan’s lips curved into a smile. “Yes, they do seem close, though Nuannuan insists on calling her ‘Sister’.”

Zhou Jinchuan smiled slightly, “It’s a bit similar, but Nuannuan insists on calling her ‘sister.'”

After saying this, Zhou Jinchuan lifted his foot and walked over.

Seeing him approach, Su Yi quickly stood up and pulled Ye Nuannuan up as well.

“Commander Zhou, are you guys setting off tomorrow?”

Zhou Jinchuan nodded lightly and then took out a roll of cash from his pocket, handing it to her. “That’s right, but we’ll be back in three to five days at most. Here’s one hundred yuan; take it for now and buy whatever you need for the house.”

Su Yi was taken aback, “One hundred yuan? You’re giving me so much at once. Aren’t you afraid I might run away?”

Zhou Jinchuan scoffed, “You don’t even have a letter of introduction. Where would you run to?”

Su Yi, a bit embarrassed, smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll take it for now.”

Then she suddenly remembered something and asked, “Commander Zhou, I found a box of expired tea leaves in your study this morning. Do you still want them?”

Zhou Jinchuan paused for a moment, as if recalling something. “No, you can handle it.”

“Got it!”

Su Yi, who had already planned to make tea eggs, was glad to hear this.

After asking one thing, Su Yi continued with the second item, “Commander Zhou, there’s one more thing. It’s a pity that this yard has been left empty. If you don’t have any particular use for it, could I plant something there?”

Zhou Jinchuan was momentarily taken aback, thinking it was just the young girl’s fondness for flowers and plants, and agreed.

“If there’s no use for it, go ahead and do what you want.”

“Great! Will you stay for lunch?”

Zhou Jinchuan originally planned to drop off the items and the money, then return to his office to continue working. After all, buying so many things had already taken up the entire morning.

However, unexpectedly, he agreed, “Alright then!”

After all, having a meal wouldn’t take up much time. Going back to the office meant he’d still need to go to the canteen for lunch.

Meanwhile, Xie Xiaojun was asking Ye Xiaowu about what happened last night. Hearing Ye Xiaowu talk about their meals, Xie Xiaojun was skeptical and thought he might be boasting.

When he heard that Commander Zhou was staying for lunch, he immediately responded with enthusiasm, “Then we’ll get to taste Comrade Su’s cooking at noon!”

Su Yi smiled and asked, “Comrade Xie, what kind of dishes do you like?”

Xie Xiaojun grinned and replied, “I like spicy food—can’t live without it!”

Su Yi nodded cheerfully, “No problem! Do you know how to till the land?”

Xie Xiaojun looked confused, his smile slowly fading.

He thought he must have heard wrong, “Till the land?”

Su Yi nodded toward Ye Xiaowu, who quickly fetched a hoe from next door.

“Uncle Xie, Sister Su said we don’t keep idle hands here. Everyone has to contribute to the collective effort.”

“In the morning, Nuannuan and I helped with cleaning, and later we’ll be cooking together with Sister Su.”

Xie Xiaojun twitched his mouth, glancing at the large area Su Yi had pointed out.

Was he here to break new ground?

Xie Xiaojun looked at Zhou Jinchuan with a bit of grievance, hoping he might say something to ease the situation.

But Zhou Jinchuan rolled up his sleeves and said, “I’ll help you with the work. It’ll be good to finish and then have a meal!”

After Su Yi went back inside, she checked the items they had brought.

There was a bag of flour, a bag of rice, and some fat for making lard.

In addition to these, there was also lean meat and a whole chicken that had been plucked and cleaned. The chicken was still warm, indicating it had been freshly slaughtered that morning.

The rest were a few common vegetables.

Looking at the large pile of items, Su Yi couldn’t help but feel a sense of appreciation.

Zhou Jinchuan was indeed generous, having already provided the three of them with meal expenses and now bringing so many ingredients.

It’s clear that Zhou Jinchuan genuinely cares about the two children.

It also shows how greedy the previous Aunt Liu must have been! With these conditions, she still managed to raise the children so thin.

After last night’s meal, Su Yi realized that both Zhou Jinchuan and Ye Xiaowu were fond of meat. She decided to chop the chicken in half—one part would be braised with potatoes, and the other half would be made into spicy chicken chunks to satisfy Xie Xiaojun’s request.

As for the pork, she would leave it for today to avoid giving ‘Commander Zhou’ the impression that she was extravagant and couldn’t manage her finances.

Su Yi picked up a block of tofu and planned to fry it with a little oil over low heat, then simmer it. A sprinkle of garlic chives would make it very flavorful.

Additionally, she would chop some chives, beat two eggs, and mix them together before pouring them into the pan to fry until golden. Two eggs would be enough to make a large plateful.

As for the soup, she planned to make a hot and sour soup using the leftover tofu and scraps, cutting them into pieces. When the soup was done, she’d stir in an egg and thicken it, then sprinkle some chopped garlic chives on top.

Once the meal was ready, Su Yi hurriedly asked Ye Xiaowu to fetch water for the two laborers in the yard to wash their hands before eating.

Xie Xiaojun, breathless and exhausted, heard that the meal was ready and immediately dropped the hoe.

“Commander! The work is almost done; let’s eat first!”

He had been relying on the aroma coming from the kitchen to keep going, gritting his teeth to finish the work.

Zhou Jinchuan looked at him helplessly, “You go ahead; I’ll just break up these clods of dirt and join you.”

Su Yi carried the dishes out and bumped into Xie Xiaojun, who was sweating profusely. She felt a bit embarrassed and said, “Comrade Xie, you’ve worked hard! Quickly wash your hands and have a meal!”

She then glanced towards the yard.

Seeing that Zhou Jinchuan was still focused on breaking up the soil, working meticulously, and looking fresh and tidy compared to Xie Xiaojun’s disheveled state, Su Yi wondered aloud, “Did Commander Zhou do farm work as a young intellectual before?”

Xie Xiaojun, having just washed his face, replied, “I haven’t heard of that.”

Su Yi smiled and quickly went back to serving the rice.

Before the meal, Xie Xiaojun swore to himself that he would never stay for another meal again; it wasn’t worth all the work he had to do!

After the meal, Xie Xiaojun said, “Comrade Su, if there’s any work next time, just give me a call!”