Chapter 248

Lijian catching the rabbit made the students very excited.

Shi Tingyu thought about roasting the rabbit for the students to try, but clearly, one rabbit wouldn’t be enough.

She needed to figure out a way to get a few more.

Seeing Lijian chasing butterflies all over the slope, Shi Tingyu called it over.

“Lijian, go see if there are more rabbits and bring us two more.”

Upon hearing the task, Lijian’s tail wagged vigorously, showing its excitement.

“Go ahead.”

With the command given, Lijian glanced at Shen Shen in Shi Tingyu’s arms and dashed off like an arrow.

Its fluid movements showed no sign of any disability.

As Lijian went off to catch more rabbits, Shi Tingyu looked at the first rabbit Lijian had caught and hesitated.

She could cook, but handling and skinning a rabbit was beyond her expertise.

In later years, the market usually handled the preparation, and even in the seventies, any live animals were dealt with by Lu Weiguo.

Seeing Shi Tingyu’s hesitation, Huo Qiang approached and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Shi Tingyu asked, “Teacher Huo, do you know how to handle a rabbit?”

Huo Qiang did indeed know how.

During his time as a young intellectual in the countryside, he had trapped rabbits in the mountains for extra food, so he knew how to process them.

“I can handle it, but I don’t have a knife.”

Shi Tingyu replied, “I have one in the car.”

She had a toolbox in her car, but the knife was something she kept in her space for self-defense.

With the tool in hand, Huo Qiang took on the task of processing the rabbit.

In front of the slope was a small stream, perfect for cleaning the rabbit.

When the students learned they would have roasted rabbit for lunch, they cheered with excitement.

Meat was still a precious commodity, and they had been prepared to eat dry food for lunch, so this was an unexpected treat.

This was the first time the students participated in such an outdoor painting activity, and it turned out to be more fun than they had imagined.

Just as Huo Qiang was finishing up with the first rabbit, Lijian came back with two more gray rabbits in its mouth.

The students cheered loudly upon seeing this.

The soldiers in the woods, struggling with their cross-country run: …

Who was so excited?

With two more rabbits, Huo Qiang sped up his work, and two other male students who knew how to handle rabbits also joined in to help.

Seeing it was almost noon, Shi Tingyu told Teacher Huo, “My house is just in the family quarters nearby. I’ll go get some seasonings and come back. Can you watch over things here?”

Huo Qiang replied, “Sure, go ahead. There’s no rush here. Also, get something for the child to eat. There’s nothing suitable for him here.”

Shi Tingyu nodded, drove back, but left Lijian to help keep an eye on safety.

Back home, Shi Tingyu made some soft noodles for Shen Shen and fed him. She then gathered some seasonings from home, took a box of matches, and brought Shen Shen back with her.

When Shi Tingyu and Shen Shen returned to the slope, the three rabbits had been processed, and the students had even gathered firewood.

They were just waiting for the seasonings Shi Tingyu brought.

Huo Qiang had cleared a spot, set up the firewood, and waited for Shi Tingyu to light it with the matches.

Once the fire was going well, the three rabbits were skewered on prepared sticks and placed in a tripod formation over the fire.

Shi Tingyu took care of seasoning the rabbits and basting them with oil.

Soon, the aroma of roasting meat filled the air.

Shi Tingyu was careful with the seasonings, leaving a portion almost unseasoned for Lijian to enjoy once the meat was cooked.

These three rabbits were all thanks to Lijian, so it definitely deserved a share.

The aroma of the roasting meat was overpowering, and everyone was entranced by the smell, their stomachs growling in response.

Among the students, there were those from less well-off families who might only eat two meals a day back home. The hunger, which usually wasn’t so hard to endure, became very pronounced now.

So hungry…

When the rabbits were finally cooked, their eyes were practically glowing green with hunger.

When the meat was ready, Shi Tingyu had everyone line up and gave each person a piece or two.

Some wrapped the meat in buns, others in pancakes.

With the roasted rabbit meat, even their dry food seemed tastier.

Shi Tingyu found a few leaves and placed the meat she had set aside for Lijian on them, letting it eat.

Not far away, someone noticed this scene and then looked at the meager two pieces of meat in their own pancake, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

He was a boy, naturally with a bigger appetite, and seeing such a large piece of delicious meat given to a dog bothered him.

He quietly joked to a nearby classmate, “Now even people aren’t as good as dogs. Look at Lijian’s meal; it’s better than ours.”

The classmate shot him a look of disdain. “That’s Lijian. The rabbit meat in your pancake was caught by Lijian. Isn’t it right for it to eat some? Without Lijian, you wouldn’t have any meat at all.”

Embarrassed, the boy muttered, “I didn’t say it shouldn’t eat. I just think it’s eating too much.”

“It’s what it deserves.”

After that, the boy kept quiet. He was just upset about the meat.

Seeing that none of the other students were reacting negatively, he didn’t dare complain further, fearing isolation.

Shi Tingyu was unaware of this small incident, and even if she had known, she wouldn’t have cared much. Among sixty students, a few narrow-minded ones were to be expected.

As long as they didn’t cause trouble for her, it was fine.

After eating and drinking, the class leaders organized everyone to clean up the surrounding area, and after a short rest, they continued painting.

Around three in the afternoon, most of the students had finished their work.

Shi Tingyu walked around, helping students with adjustments and corrections.

Just then, a group of soldiers in green uniforms appeared in the distance, causing quite a stir among the students.

Shi Tingyu stood up from her small stool and looked over, immediately spotting Lu Weiguo, standing out in the group.

Shen Shen, sitting in his small bamboo cart, was very familiar with the sight of soldiers and instantly recognized his father, shouting, “Daddy!”

Lu Weiguo also saw his wife and son.

He jogged over.

“Wife!”

Shi Tingyu was surprised, “Are you on a drill today?” She hadn’t heard about it before.

Lu Weiguo nodded with a smile, lifting his eager son into his arms.

Only then did the students realize that this was actually their teacher Shi’s husband.

The soldier they had seen before wasn’t her husband after all.

But their teacher’s husband certainly looked imposing and not to be trifled with.

Huo Qiang also came over to greet Lu Weiguo, “Captain Lu.”

Lu Weiguo shook his hand, warmly acknowledging him as his wife’s colleague.

The students exchanged glances, their eyes wide with shock. Their teacher’s husband was a captain and so young too.