Chapter 42: Painful Reward

After hanging up the phone, those few sentences cost thirty cents, which hurts.

Luo Qiao knew the two were fine. After making the call, she didn’t return to the health center. Anyway, she believed Zhang Xiao’s father would arrive soon after the call. Luo Qiao knew there was a military unit stationed not far away.

Zhang Xiao’s father was probably an officer. When she called, he answered the phone himself, likely in his office where there would be a phone. It couldn’t have been an operator.

After delaying for a while, when she returned home it was already late. She took some pre-cooked dishes from the kitchen and while eating, she boiled a pot of water outside in the courtyard. By the time she finished eating, the water was also boiled.

After a short rest, she poured the water into a bamboo tube and then set off for work.

With the schooling matters resolved, Luo Qiao was in a remarkably good mood, so she went to work in the afternoon with a bright smile.

She hadn’t worked in the morning, so Luo Qiao asked the captain for tasks again. Li Erya, who was supposed to cut grass yesterday, sprained her ankle, leaving fewer workers for grass cutting today. Thus, the captain instructed Luo Qiao to join the afternoon grass-cutting team.

The captain casually asked, “Is everything sorted out?”

Luo Qiao smiled and replied, “Yes, everything’s settled. I won’t need to attend classes at school for the next few months, I just need to show up for exams. The class teacher will have classmates notify me in advance.”

The captain chuckled, saying, “That’s good then. Studying well leads to success.”

The captain thought to himself that even if Luo Qiao couldn’t pass the high school entrance exam, at least having a junior high school graduation certificate would provide some security. He nodded approvingly and left with a smile.

Luo Qiao arrived at the animal husbandry station, where she picked up a sickle and a carrying basket for cutting grass, and then walked up the mountain with Auntie Zhang from the same group.

Auntie Zhang said, “We need to fill three baskets of grass this afternoon, which counts as three work credits. The baskets must be packed full; they’ll check each time we come back.”

After walking uphill for a while, Auntie Zhang pointed and said, “In the valley ahead, the grass grows well, but it’s a bit further.”

They spent the whole afternoon making three trips with Auntie Zhang before finally earning those three work credits. It was really not easy.

After finishing work in the evening earlier than those in the fields, after all, once the task was done, it was done. Upon returning home, she freshened up a bit, and lay down on the heated brick bed for a while before preparing to cook.

While cutting grass on the mountain today, she also picked some wild onions. She sliced the potatoes, mixed them with flour, sprinkled on some ground Sichuan peppercorn and salt, stirred evenly, and then started steaming them in a pot.

She made a little extra effort today, since the school matters were settled, she felt she owed thanks to Lu Yichen for his help.

After washing and chopping the wild onions, slicing the garlic, and pounding it into garlic paste, she made chili sauce.

When the time was right, she took out the steamed potatoes, heated oil in a wok, added Sichuan peppercorns, wild onions, and garlic slices, fried until fragrant, then added the steamed potatoes and stir-fried them together. Oh, the aroma!

After finishing stir-frying and putting it in a porcelain bowl, she added minced garlic and chili sauce on one side of the bowl, then quickly walked towards Lu Yichen’s house.

Lu Yichen had been temporarily reassigned to another brigade to help transport gravel today. He had just returned home, finished washing up, and was preparing to take a break before cooking.

Luo Qiao stood at the doorway and called out, “Brother Lu, are you home?”

Upon hearing it was Luo Qiao, Lu Yichen said, “Come in.”

Seeing Luo Qiao carrying the porcelain bowl, he asked, “What’s this about? Did something happen with school, and now you want to thank me?”

Luo Qiao smiled coyly and said, “Yes, Brother Lu, you guessed right. I passed the exam and got assigned to Class 1. I’ve also arranged with the school that I won’t attend regular classes, and just show up for exams.”

Lu Yichen chuckled, “Impressive! Sounds like you did well.”